Forbidden Fate
by Allie35
Summary: How did Andromeda Black and Ted Tonks meet and fall in love? Well, it started with a letter and a tutoring session...
1. Slytherin and Hufflepuff

Forbidden Fate  
  
Disclaimer: This all belongs to J.K. Rowling! Not me!  
  
Chapter One To Andromeda,  
Firstly we must congratulate you on becoming a Prefect. We know you will be a role model to younger Slytherins, including your sisters and their friends. However, we are concerned about your progress in a certain subject. Bella kindly wrote to inform us that you are only averaging an "A" in Potions. As a Black and a Prefect, we expect from you "O's" or at the very least "E's". Surely you will not be in NEWT-level if your grades do not improve. It is your OWL year. We have spoken with the Slytherin Head of House to arrange an appropriate tutor for you. Please do not be distressed. We have your future and best interests at heart,  
Your concerned mother and father  
  
"What a bunch of dragon dung," thought Andromeda Black furiously, alone in her dormitory. She made to tear up the parchment, but, fearing it could be jinxed, was content to chuck it across the room. She felt like swearing, but a Black was never supposed to lose their temper. There came a knock at the door; she fled to pick up the letter, hiding it under her robes. In walked Priscilla Normad, wearing her customary scowl.  
  
"Professor Fenwick wants to see you. And don't dawdle, he doesn't have all day."  
  
Andromeda walked by without a word, sticking her chin up haughtily in the air. Her roommates would never have to know that 'acceptable' wasn't 'acceptable' for the Blacks and that she'd gone so low she needed a tutor. It was ridiculous of course—she was a Prefect, mostly a good student... and a Black. Black like the locks of her hair, and therefore better than everybody else.  
  
Secretly, Andromeda hated her cold, snobby family—just as she hated the cold Slytherin common room. Dungeons weren't pleasant places, though that didn't seem to faze Fenwick. His office was in the darkest, dreariest corner of the dungeon. Andromeda shivered as she knocked on his door.  
  
"Come in, Miss. Black."  
  
Professor Fenwick was sitting at his desk, scribbling something. Most likely a detention sheet, Andromeda thought grimly.  
  
"Sit down," he said, looking up. He was a heavyset man, with a balding head and thick eyebrows. Andromeda obeyed.  
  
"I assume you know why you are here."  
  
"My parents owled me. I know."  
  
"Your Potions grades have always been, shall we say, normal—but as fine, upstanding members of the community, the Blacks—"  
  
"You don't think I need tutoring, do you?" cut in Andromeda.  
  
Fenwick raised his eyebrows. "The Blacks know what is best. Unfortunately, the availability of acceptable Potions tutors is...low."  
  
"In other words, no Slytherin or Ravenclaw purebloods want to help me. That's unlikely."  
  
For a moment Fenwick stared her down and Andromeda looked back placidly. She sat up straight with hands folded in the picture of prissiness. She knew she wasn't the only one with a hidden agenda.  
  
"Miss. Black, it comes down to this: There is a brilliant potions student willing to tutor you, someone your family would highly disapprove of. However, I can make it so they'd never know. It's your choice."  
  
Oh, the intrigue. Now she had a way to go against her family, an easy way at that. But could she? Sirius did it everyday. But he's a child. That's different. A small part of her said, "Be a good daughter." But that small, sane part was overridden by: Do I dare pass up this chance?  
  
"I'll take it," she blurted, before she could come to her senses and change her mind. "Out of curiosity, who is it?"  
  
"Edward Tonks, of Hufflepuff. A muggle-born." Fenwick smiled nastily.  
  
"Wonderful. When do I meet him?"  
  
"At—at the library, every Friday at six-o-clock." He looked shocked that she'd accepted so quickly.  
  
"I would prefer it to be in an empty classroom, Professor. My sister—you know..."  
  
"Ah. I see." He scribbled a note for her. "I'll contact Tonks tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Miss. Black."  
  
"Goodnight, Professor." Andromeda got up, as if in a dream, and managed to leave the office still looking composed. Only when she was a hall and flight of stairs away did she gasp out loud.  
  
"He's a mudblood! A mudblood is going to tutor me! A Hufflepuff no less; he probably doesn't even have the brains for Potions. Tonks...no, I wouldn't recognize his surname."  
  
She breathed deeply to calm down. Then she grinned. Remembering something her Aunt Vega always said, she whispered, "I'm going to besmirch my noble Black blood!"  
  
And she didn't care. Not one bit.  
  
~~~  
  
"Are you mad? Are you completely, totally, madly insane?"  
  
"Do I look insane?" Ted Tonks, Hufflepuff prefect, retorted.  
  
His best friend gestured towards Ted's mop head of hair that always got into his eyes, his disheveled robes, and brightly mismatched socks.  
  
"That really wasn't a good question, mate," answered Kirley McCormack.  
  
"The hair works well enough for the Monkees," said Ted with a grin.  
  
Kirley just shook his head. "I'll never understand what's so great about those Muggle bands of yours."  
  
"Hey, if there was a wizarding band worth listening to, I'd be their biggest fan."  
  
"Are you crazy?" Kirley nearly spat out the food he was chewing for dinner. "The Hobgoblins, Celestina Warbeck..."  
  
"I get it, I get it," said Ted. They often had debates like these, usually when Ted was trying to change the subject. It never worked. Perhaps the "Are you crazy?" line was too repetitive, but for some reason his guitarist extraordinaire friend didn't want to talk about bands anymore.  
  
"I still don't know why you're tutoring some bigoted Black."  
  
Ted sighed. "Look—I've never met her. Who am I to stay what she's like?"  
  
"You didn't grow up in the wizarding world, Ted," said Kirley gravely. "They've got a bad reputation, the Black family. It's never worth knowing any of 'em."  
  
"Come on," Ted pleaded. "She agreed to it, didn't she? That must mean something."  
  
"It means you have to watch your back. Just be careful, mate."  
  
Ted rolled his eyes, knowing Kirley wouldn't see through his shaggy brown hair. He had been dreading this Friday ever since Professor Fenwick curtly told him that he had been chosen to tutor Andromeda Black. He really wanted to meet her, but all week he had to put up with his roommates' comments.  
  
"I have to go," he told Kirley, getting up. "If she doesn't 'Avada Kedavra' me, I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Kirley jumped in shock, then gave a weak laugh when he saw Ted's grin. "So I'm overreacting. Sorry." He truly smiled now.  
  
They clasped each other on the back and Ted numbly left the Great Hall. Where was he supposed to go now? Right—the room near that tapestry of the trolls doing ballet...  
  
A/N: Please review! Thanks! Any technical suggestions would be nice too; I'm sort of new at this. 


	2. First Tutoring Session

Chapter Two: First Tutoring Session  
  
Disclaimer: All of this belongs to J.K. Rowling  
  
Andromeda followed Fenwick's nearly illegible directions on the parchment up to the eighth floor. She turned down a long corridor and walked straight to the end of it. There wasn't a door. She retraced her steps in confusion, but all she saw on one side of the corridor was blank wall; the other, a silly tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls to do pirouettes.  
  
What kind of sick joke was Fenwick trying to pull?  
  
She took off at alarming speed back the other way, and then stopped dead.  
  
A boy had just rounded the hall, coming towards her. For a minute they stood transfixed, staring at the other as if they were different species.  
  
Finally Edward Tonks said, "You must be Andromeda Black."  
  
"You must be Edward Tonks."  
  
"It's Ted. You must have a nickname too, right?"  
  
"Of course not!" Her name, like that of almost everyone in her family, came from the stars. She would never want to change it.  
  
Despite the awkwardness, Ted smiled and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you properly," he said. "I've seen you at Prefect meetings, but we've never really met."  
  
There was the slightest trace of a challenge in his voice. Andromeda took his hand and shook it firmly. By now Ted realized they were standing in an empty corridor.  
  
"Er...did we take a wrong turn?"  
  
"Both of us take the same wrong turn? Unlikely. Fenwick wrote the directions incorrectly. It's doubtful he can even read his own handwriting."  
  
"Chicken scratch," said Ted, pacing in thought.  
  
Andromeda restrained herself from saying, "Pardon?" It was probably some obscure Muggle phrase. She began pacing herself, hoping no one would find them.  
  
"Let's see...I was a little skeptical of his directions. Shouldn't we be in the dungeons for Potions? We need ingredients, equipment, cauldrons, not to mention books and quills. So why—?"  
  
Andromeda's gasp cut him off. A shiny, glimmering door appeared on the blank wall.  
  
"Should—should we try it?" she whispered. She didn't want to risk anyone seeing her with him a second longer.  
  
Ted nodded and turned the handle. They stepped into a large, brightly- lit room oddly reminiscent of the dungeons. Most amazing were the walls of books, tables of parchment and quills, two cauldrons, and all the ingredients they'd need.  
  
"Gotta hand it to him. How'd Fenwick pull this off?"  
  
"He didn't. It's magic. It must be the Come and Go Room."  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"The Room of Requirement!" Didn't he know anything? Uncle Alphard talked about this room often enough, and he was the only uncle she had worth listening to. "I understand it now. It gives you anything you need!"  
  
"How clever of Fenwick," remarked Ted dryly. "It was nice of him not to give us instructions on how to get in."  
  
"It's a secret," said Andromeda staunchly. "It should be kept that way."  
  
They sat down at the table. It was already six twenty, so they only had two hours left.  
  
"So what seems to be the problem with Potions?" asked Ted the tutor.  
  
"Nothing. My parents just don't find my work 'acceptable', if you know what I mean. Besides, it's dull."  
  
"What? Dull? There's plenty of neat things to do in Potions! Don't tell me you've never tried to brew up a love potion."  
  
"Have you?"  
  
Ted reddened, cleared his throat, and pulled out the book. "Let's...just get started. We should do the Draught of Peace, it'll be on the OWL's. Now, you have to remember to add the moonstone..."  
  
An hour later, Andromeda's potion was a light silver vapor—perfect, according to Ted. It wasn't surprising she did so well. Ted was always helpful and patient.  
  
"Want to try it?" he asked with a grin.  
  
"I'd prefer *not* to be in a hazy stupor the rest of the night."  
  
Ted shrugged. "It'll help you sleep."  
  
"I don't need help sleeping!" Andromeda gathered up her books and said brusquely, "You go on ahead. I have to take this potion to Fenwick. I'll see you next week. Good night."  
  
"G'night," he said, eyebrows raised. Andromeda waited a full ten minutes until he was out of sight before she left, just to make sure he was in the Hufflepuff common room. As she entered the corridor, the door to the Room of Requirement disappeared.  
  
"Ted's all right," she thought. "Considering who and what he is, he seems almost normal."  
  
She had no idea that Ted, in his dormitory, was thinking the exact same thing about her.  
  
~~~  
  
Three days later, Ted hadn't seen a sign of Andromeda. It really wasn't fair that Hufflepuffs and Slytherins didn't have any classes together.  
  
Kirley thought it was just as well, but then again he didn't believe it when Ted told him Andromeda wasn't too bad. Ted didn't tell his friend about the Room of Requirement. Strangely, he wanted it to be a special place between him and Andromeda. That's why he told Kirley to go on ahead after Potions class.  
  
"Professor Fenwick, I need to speak with you."  
  
Fenwick was gathering up sample potions. He carefully arranged them before he spoke.  
  
"What is it, Tonks?"  
  
"Er—the tutoring, you know..."  
  
"No problems, were there?"  
  
"No! Not at all. Just—you never told us how to get into the Room of Requirement."  
  
Fenwick's head flipped up and he gave Ted a piercing stare. "Clever boy. You managed to figure it out *without* my help, hmm? No point in explaining anything now. Do try your best to keep it a secret."  
  
"Right. Of course." Ted backed out of the dungeon classroom more confused than ever. Fenwick was immersed in his work; Ted took this as a "goodbye" and fled down the hall.  
  
He was rushing along so fast that he skidded to a halt when he saw her.  
  
"Wotcher, Andromeda!" he said cheerfully. Mistaking the reason why her eyes widened in shock, he added, "That's just something my prat friend Kirley says. Hello, in other words."  
  
As he paused for breath he noticed two girls standing next to Andromeda. Ted offered them a half-hearted wave and got cold silence in return.  
  
"Do you know him, Meda?" asked the youngest, a blonde.  
  
"Why—why should I?" Andromeda said. "He's probably one of my pathetic admirers. Too bad I would never give him a moment's notice." She tossed her hair flippantly, but he hands shook and her face was chalk white.  
  
The other girl with thick black hair—it could only be Andromeda's sister, they looked so much alike—sneered.  
  
"You heard her. Move along, mudblood." The crowd around them joined in mocking laughter. Ted didn't look back to see if Andromeda was amused as well.  
  
He walked out of there with as much dignity as he could muster, resisting the urge to curse a certain someone.  
  
~~~  
  
What Andromeda had to endure in the next week was, in her opinion, far more painful than Ted's one-minute rejection. Her sister Bellatrix was more adamant than ever in her quest to "force all those dirty mudbloods out of Hogwarts and back to where they belong." She had a large following in Slytherin, too. All the decent Slytherins, such as Andromeda and her friend Derrick Avery, stayed out of the common room. Bellatrix always forced Narcissa to come to her rallies. As a first year, Cissa didn't know any better and she adored her older sisters. Derrick was worried about his younger brother who was also running around with Bellatrix.  
  
Andromeda had her own worries. When Friday rolled around, she debated with herself on whether or not she dared show her face to Ted after what she did to him. She didn't tell anyone her dilemma—not even Derrick—because, after all, being a "decent" Slytherin only goes so far.  
  
She ended up going. It was partly Bella's bigoted whining that she could take no longer, partly her own guilty conscience ("Coward! Coward!" her head was saying), but it was mostly because Ted deserved an apology. And more importantly, a warning.  
  
If he showed up at all.  
  
Andromeda made it up to the room in record time and went in. No Ted. She waited five minutes longer, watching the ticking hands on the clock that had just appeared. It was exactly six-o-clock when the doorknob turned and Ted stepped in.  
  
He didn't look at all ready for tutoring; he looked more prepared for a duel.  
  
A/N: Thank you to Eraserhead and Ella Palladino for reviewing! ( 


	3. Friends at Last?

Chapter 3: Friends at Last?  
  
Disclaimer: Most all of this belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me!  
  
Ted didn't know why he went. Maybe it was to give Andromeda a chance to defend herself—to prove that he really *was* a good judge of character.  
  
"Ha!" he thought. "Unless she was under the Imperius curse, or someone was impersonating her with a bloody Polyjuice Potion, she doesn't have any excuse! She probably didn't even care!"  
  
Sure enough, when he entered the room, Andromeda stood there haughtily. No one spoke. Finally, she looked away.  
  
"I...didn't know if you'd show up," she said quietly.  
  
"I didn't know if I would either," Ted snapped. "I don't know why I did!"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."  
  
"You can start by telling me why you did it!"  
  
Andromeda turned to face him, disgust written plainly on her face.  
  
"Why?" she repeated. "What do you think Bellatrix would have done had I said 'hello' to you? You didn't hear how she ranted in the common room...all because you dared to talk to me. She would've written my parents—we'd both be in big trouble and I'd never see you again. If you think she wouldn't try to hurt you..."  
  
Ted's anger was beginning to subside. "Is Bellatrix that girl who stood next to you? Why would she write to *your* parents?"  
  
"Because she's my sister. Her and Narcissa—she was there too."  
  
Ted began to understand the terrible truth.  
  
"So...you haven't told your family about me."  
  
Andromeda shook her head. "Have you told your family about me?"  
  
"Er...yes." Ted tried to be nonchalant. "Mum and Dad live in Liverpool. They don't know a thing about the wizarding world, but they think the idea of me tutoring anyone is hilarious."  
  
Andromeda laughed weakly. "Can we be friends, then?"  
  
"Secret friends, you mean?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but that's the way it has to be, Ted. I mean it. We have to pretend we don't know each other at all in public."  
  
Ted sighed. Andromeda was being sincere. Her eyes showed regret, but also hope. She truly wanted to be his friend—he couldn't resist that. And she needed some fun in her life.  
  
"All right," he said lightly. "We'll become experts at espionage. Ted and Andro: Teenage Spies."  
  
For the first time, he smiled. Andromeda grinned in relief. As the tension broke, they both laughed.  
  
"Andro?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "When you first came in, I thought we'd be dueling. Now I'm about to challenge you to take that back!"  
  
"Why? You need a nick—dueling? Did I hear my favorite pastime mentioned by a novice?"  
  
Andromeda gave an obviously fake gasp and yelled, "Take out your wand and we'll see who the novice is!"  
  
They reached into their robes and pulled out their wands. With convincing straight faces, they traced the steps of a proper duel.  
  
"1, 2...5!" They both spun around.  
  
Ted shot a cheering charm at Andromeda and she giggled uncontrollably. He was about to declare himself the victor when—  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Ted's wand flew across the room, and a split second later Andromeda raced to pick it up. "Fi-fin-fi-finite!" she managed through the giggling, which consequently stopped.  
  
She spun the two wands in the air and held Ted's out to him. "That was a weak duel, Mr.Tonks. But we're only novices."  
  
He accepted it grudgingly. "Just you wait, Miss. Black. Next week it'll take more than disarming me to win." He spoke a few octaves lower than his normal voice, just to give the threat effect.  
  
"I'm so scared," Andromeda shot back. Their eyes met and they both had hysterics like the cheering charms were still on. Andromeda couldn't stop laughing until she saw the time.  
  
"Oh, we'd better get studying. Ted?"  
  
For Ted was immobile, staring wistfully at her. "You look so different when you smile, Andromeda."  
  
She flushed. Ted mentally kicked himself for sounding like one of his mother's friends' harlequin romances, but Andromeda answered seriously.  
  
"Do I look better or worse?"  
  
"Bet—" he said, then shook his head. What was he saying? "You're right. Let's work."  
  
Andromeda looked highly relieved when they sat down and opened up their books. But for the rest of the night, Ted could not truthfully say he was concentrating on Potions. Instead, he was absorbed in something—or rather, *someone* else. Andromeda was back to being distant and overly polite. Years later, Ted would say it was that one shining glimpse of her true personality that made him continue tutoring.  
  
But that would be only half the truth. Sitting there in the candlelight, he wasn't mesmerized by just her personality. Ted was beginning to believe Andromeda was the most beautiful girl he'd ever know.  
  
~~~  
  
Weeks flew by. Andromeda found herself drawn to Ted like a Niffler was drawn to gold. Everyone was confused by her happiness—to the extent that Derrick asked her if she overdid the cheering charms in class. Ted was also seen humming (to Kirley's great amusement) love songs around the halls. He teased his best friend mercilessly about it.  
  
As the Christmas holidays drew nearer, however, both Ted and Andromeda seemed more on edge. For Andromeda, it was because she had to go home and visit her family. The day before break, she was only partly merry as she gave Ted his present.  
  
He laughed when he opened the package of Fizzing Whizbees, sugar quills, cockroach clusters, and other magical sweets.  
  
"I'm sure your parents will find those *quite* interesting," joked Andromeda.  
  
"Thanks! And yes. This will be fun. Speaking of my parents, they picked out your present."  
  
He handed her a box wrapped in gold foil. Andromeda unwrapped it hesitantly. She lifted the top, revealing a beautiful silver necklace with an azure stone at the bottom.  
  
"Ted," she whispered, after a heavy silence, "This is the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen. But it's too much! How did your parents—er, get this?"  
  
"We can buy gifts for people! Besides, I wanted you to see what Muggle girls wear."  
  
"I wouldn't mind being a Muggle if I got jewelry like this. Thank you so much, Ted."  
  
"You're welcome. This is just one of the perks of tutoring you."  
  
"Perks! I should be getting *you* something like this, not the other way around!"  
  
"No, thanks. I don't really want a necklace," said Ted with a grin.  
  
Andromeda giggled and, taking it gently out of the box, tied it around her neck. She would have to wear it under her robes at home, but not now.  
  
"I love it." She instantly regretted using the L-word. Ted got funny at times like these and she didn't want a thing to ruin their odd friendship. Luckily, he didn't say anything embarrassing like "I love you", but made a joke.  
  
"Too bad this place doesn't have any mistletoe, huh?"  
  
"Too bad," she answered. Good—Ted was being himself again. "Happy Christmas, Ted."  
  
"Happy Christmas, Andromeda."  
  
They hugged for the first time ever, and a surge of warmth sped up Andromeda's spine. Perhaps this Christmas wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
A/N: Thank you to Ella Palladino, Eraserhead, and WolfGurl 18 for reviewing! ( 


	4. Home Isn't Where the Heart Is

Chapter Four: Home Isn't Where the Heart Is  
  
Disclaimer: This all belongs to J.K. Rowling!  
  
"Keep up, Cissa—I don't even see them yet!"  
"I *am* keeping up! It's hard to move around in this crowd. Hold my hand, Bella!"  
  
"Don't be such as baby. You're eleven years old!"  
  
Andromeda grabbed Narcissa's hand in frustration. Only a minute off the train and already they were arguing! She dragged her younger sister through the platform packed with families.  
  
"Look, there they are—away from all this half-blood filth." Bellatrix, who had been glaring at all the happy families, sped up towards the Blacks.  
  
Arcturus and Adhara Black were standing off to the side but rushed over to Andromeda and her sisters. Adhara hugged and kissed Bella, her favorite, first. Bella hugged her mother back dismissively. Meanwhile her father was kissing Narcissa, his favorite.  
  
Arcturus then hugged Andromeda and said in an undertone, "I do hope you're not mad at us for making you get a tutor. It was all for the best."  
  
"You're right, Father. In fact, I should be thanking you. It's working out perfectly!" For once, she wasn't even lying.  
  
"Is it?" he asked suspiciously. "Fenwick said he was an older Slytherin. I hope you mean your *grades* are perfect."  
  
"Right, that's what I meant." She avoided his stern gaze by allowing herself an extremely brief hug with her mother.  
  
Shoving her daughter away, Adhara said coldly, "I trust you've been behaving yourself, Andromeda?"  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?" Their probing was making her nervous. Was she so different from the summer that 'blood traitor' was pasted on her forehead?  
  
"Meda! Meda!" she heard. Only one person called her that...  
  
"Sirius!" Pushing past her family, she ran over to her nine year old cousin and hugged him tightly.  
  
She felt a tug on her robes. It was Regulus. Though two years younger than his brother, he followed him everywhere.  
  
"Andromeda, Sirius is in big trouble!" he said in delight.  
  
"Really? Good for you, Sirius!" The two boys cracked up.  
  
Andromeda ruffled Regulus's hair and kissed his cheek.  
  
"Ugh!" He wiped it away.  
  
"It's nice to see you are encouraging Sirius in his troublemaking antics." Aunt Alya was standing right behind her sons. Dark and domineering, Andromeda didn't like her aunt at all. For some reason, the feeling was mutual.  
  
"I'm sorry, Aunt Alya...an Uncle Rigel. That was wrong of you, Sirius. Whatever you did."  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. His mother gave him a pointed warning look and swept off, followed by her husband. Rigel had the classic Black family good looks, like her father. Unfortunately, he didn't have any spine—another classic male Black trait. Alya controlled everything. He only patted Andromeda's shoulder as he went by to greet the "favored" nieces.  
  
Both Sirius and Regulus had inherited their father's good looks—black hair, strong jaw, straight nose— and they had the potential to be little Hogwarts heartthrobs. She only hoped they had more strength.  
  
"Really, I was only having some fun at the dinner party the other night. Everyone looked bored, so I put some firewhiskey in their drinks and Filibusters under the table."  
  
Andromeda couldn't help chuckling. No, inner strength was something Sirius had in spades—for better or worse. "No one got hurt, did they?"  
  
He shrugged. "No, they're just fireworks. And you can't blame me for trying to have fun. Grimmauld Place really needs it."  
  
Andromeda nodded knowingly. She dreaded visits there, and couldn't imagine *living* in Sirius's house. Her heart went out to her bright, mischievous cousin.  
  
"But Sirius, you were locked in your room for days!" piped up Regulus. "I only had Kreacher to play with, and he's creepy."  
  
Andromeda resisted the urge to giggle. She couldn't like Regulus as much as Sirius, but was adorable at times.  
  
"What do you think I did in there?" retorted Sirius. "Write sorry notes and read 'Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy'?"  
  
Andromeda snorted. "That would be something new. So what *did* you do?"  
  
"Thought up new pranks, of course! Next week we'll do my next one, all right Regulus?"  
  
He nodded eagerly. In five short years he would be reluctant to take part in rule breaking; now he didn't know any better.  
  
"Andromeda!" yelled her mother. "Come visit with the rest of the family!"  
  
Andromeda looked around. Alphard, her favorite uncle, wasn't in sight. Groaning, she led her cousins back to the Black family.  
  
~~~  
  
Andromeda survived the next week by spending as little time as possible with the adults. Instead, she and Sirius hid from Bella (and Lucius Malfoy when he was there) and teased Cissa and Regulus.  
  
The rest of the time she stayed in her room, writing letters to Ted. He would never read them; owls in Muggle Liverpool would look odd and she couldn't risk the letters being intercepted by her family. She missed Alphard terribly. He didn't even show up for Christmas Day! She was at Grimmauld Place when he finally did arrive—writing as usual.  
  
"Dear Ted,  
I can assure you: You're having tons more fun then I am. The only people who don't look at me as if I have some huge problem are either mysteriously absent or under the age of eleven. It's even worse when my parent's friends (in other words, the Malfoys) come to visit. I can't stand Lucius, and I have the great misfortune of being in the same House and only a year older than him. Anyways, the adults (with some other 'respectable pureblood families') all had this secret meeting earlier today, ushering us kids out after presents, etc. They've muffled their noise and even put an Imperturbable Charm on the door! I snuck over once to eavesdrop but Bella was around and I had to make Kreacher distract her so I could get away. It's awful to say this at Christmastime, but...while I love my family (who doesn't?) I really don't *like* them. I only wish—"  
  
"Andromeda!" Adhara screeched up the stairs. "Come down here now! Your uncle has arrived!"  
  
Andromeda shoved the parchment into her bag and raced down the stairs, nearly knocking over the troll's leg by the door.  
  
"Be careful!" her mother hissed. Andromeda ignored her.  
  
"Uncle Alphard!" He enwrapped her in a huge hug.  
  
"How's my favorite niece?"  
  
"All right now," she said, grinning. Alphard didn't mind calling her his "favorite" niece. Bella didn't care and Cissa was too young to care.  
  
He hugged Sirius and Regulus as well. "How are my favorite nephews?" he bellowed.  
  
"It was devastating without you," Sirius said over-dramatically, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. Regulus nodded with him.  
  
Alphard cuffed his oldest nephew lightly on the shoulder. "Knew you'd miss me, Sirius." He added darkly: "Couldn't say the same for anyone else."  
  
The rest of the family filed into the hall. They hated Alphard not only for his eccentric ways, but because (being the eldest son and heir) he had ten times more gold than the rest of them did.  
  
Narcissa said 'hello' to him primly and shyly. Bellatrix stood with her arms crossed until her mother jabbed in the direction of her uncle. Rolling her eyes, she smiled painfully and shook his hand.  
  
Once the required greetings were over, Andromeda and Sirius got some more time with him alone. He was tall, dark, and hawkish, but Andromeda showed no fear as she faced him with her arms crossed.  
  
"Do you realize how long we've been here? Or the fact that we're leaving tomorrow? How could you have deserted us like that?"  
  
Still, she couldn't help smiling as she said it.  
  
"Truth is, no one wanted me to come. I'm just here to say hello—and goodbye—and then it's off to another exotic locale."  
  
"We want you to stay!" Regulus begged.  
  
"Thanks, my boy. But unfortunately you children don't make the decisions around here."  
  
"We should," said Sirius, "As we have more sense than the rest of them put together."  
  
Alphard sighed, as if in agreement. "Which is why one day I'll leave and never come back. Let *them* all be tried for insanity and sent to Azkaban."  
  
"You wouldn't really leave, would you?" Andromeda muttered. "In good conscience?"  
  
He gave her a serious stare. "Not for another eight years or so, my dear." Then, brightening: "And you'll be compensated with a pile of gold, so you won't care a whit!"  
  
Sirius laughed uproariously, but Andromeda was still uneasy. When he left a few hours later, his parting words played over and over in her head:  
  
"Someday you'll leave them too—I'd bet all the galleons I have on that. Don't feel bad about it, Andromeda. You'll do the right thing when the time comes."  
  
And with that, Alphard Black Floo'd out of her life. She wouldn't see him again for four years.  
  
They next day they were on the train back to Hogwarts. She promised Sirius at least a hundred times that she'd write. As she climbed into a compartment with Derrick, she saw Ted with his friend. He winked and she tossed her hair—their code for saying 'hi'. When Derrick raised his eyebrows in confusion, she only grinned back at him.  
  
A/N: Thank you for reviewing Rathien 1, Eraserhead, and WolfGurl 18!  
  
From now on, I'll probably update only once a week. I'm getting busy again because of school. But I'll still work on this story! ~~~ 


	5. Take A Chance

Chapter Five: Take a Chance  
  
Disclaimer: All of this belongs to J.K. Rowling...  
  
Friday at six o'clock couldn't have come soon enough for Ted. Around the halls, Andromeda looked pale but at least happier than she seemed on the train. Ted didn't want to dwell on what she must have gone through over the holidays.  
  
He had a nice Christmas, with the tree and stockings and gifts. And he loved seeing his family again. They weren't too thrilled about his room, though. After only a week in it the floor was completely covered with clothes. Ted's mother joked that she had forgotten what color the carpet was. He was forced to pick up (without magic!) every strewn sock, shirt, and pants. He was glad to be back at Hogwarts—his roommates weren't nearly as fussy.  
  
He was also glad not to have to face his parent's devious little questionings. "So, Ted...how has tutoring been going lately?" "You and Andromeda must be spending *lots* of time together..."  
  
His mother was ecstatic that she liked the necklace. "Oh, I hoped she would! What a sweet girl!"  
  
Yet every time Ted tried to talk to them about her, he got tongue-tied. They were sitting at the kitchen table for breakfast the last day before the start of term.  
  
"Now or never," Ted told himself. "Erm, Dad—could I uh, talk to you about, um, something?"  
  
His parents were determinedly looking away from each other. Diane Tonks put her hand over her mouth; after all Ted wouldn't like to see his own Mum laughing at him.  
  
"All right Ted, what is it?" asked Dan Tonks. His son was growing up; obviously he needed to hear "the talk."  
  
Ted hesitated. "Not to be rude, Mum...but shouldn't this be a father-son kind of girl talk...thing?"  
  
"Considering that I *am* a girl, I would have thought you'd want to talk to me."  
  
He sighed. "Well, it's just about Andromeda, y'know..." He stopped.  
  
Seeing his parent's concerned and interested faces was too much. The three of them had always shared a close, open relationship...until the Hogwarts letter came. Ted promised himself he'd never lie to his parents—but that didn't mean he'd tell them every single thing about his new school. And he didn't. They had no idea what kind of status he held in the wizarding world, or what Andromeda's family thought of him. And he had to keep it that way.  
  
"Andromeda's nice," he said firmly. "But we're just friends. I was only wondering what to do when people a person you care about cares for don't care for you. Should you still care about that person?"  
  
Diane and Dan raised their eyebrows.  
  
"Yeah, that was confusing," Ted said immediately. "But it's a confusing situation."  
  
"Perhaps it would help if you give us some names," suggested his dad.  
  
"Such as a person named Andromeda?" his mum asked shrewdly.  
  
"You haven't been reading my letters, have you?" He gave up. "Ok. Andromeda's family hates me. How can there be any...hope for us?" He blushed.  
  
Both his parents looked stunned. "How could her family hate you?" Diane asked.  
  
He shrugged glumly. "Dunno. I've never even met most of them."  
  
It was silent. His mother went around the table to put her arms around him, ruffling his hair lovingly. His dad looked him straight in the eye and said, "Ted, if you like this girl and she likes you, what her family thinks shouldn't matter. They'll come around eventually, when it's actually time for you to care. Your mum's parents hated me at first too and look how well we get on now. I still don't understand that, by the way."  
  
"It's not as though they didn't have any legitimate concern, Dan. You drove a Harley and played electric guitar."  
  
"See! Prejudice against musicians!"  
  
They checked on Ted. He was smiling, a little bit.  
  
"Thanks Mum, thanks Dad." For the rest of the meal he rambled on about sports, but he wasn't entirely satisfied with their advice. He would need a second opinion, an informed opinion. His head of House, Sprout, was out. He got the impression from Fenwick that this tutoring business was classified stuff. Dumbledore, the new Headmaster, was a possibility. But Ted didn't know him well enough to trust him with information as important as that. Besides, it was intimidating talking to the man who had defeated Grindelwald. That left one person, the perfect person. Kirley.  
  
"Kirley, do you want to meet Andromeda?"  
  
For once, they had their room to themselves and Ted, taking his chances, just blurted out what he thought would be best.  
  
Kirley, clearly surprised, managed to say, "Sure, Ted. But what brought this on? I thought you were just friends. It's a little too early for her to meet the family, don't ya think?"  
  
Ted smirked. "You know Valentine's Day is coming up."  
  
"Coming up? It's in a month and a half!"  
  
"But I need to *plan*, Kirley. I want to do something really special for her. Something a friend would do, so she doesn't get the wrong idea."  
  
"Doing something 'special' for a girl on Valentine's Day isn't going to come across as very 'friendly', Ted."  
  
"Forget about it then! I do want to know what you think about her, your honest opinion. That way I'll know I'm not going mad."  
  
Kirley sighed. It was quite clear that his friend *was* going mad, though not in the way he thought. "Are you saying you need my approval? Or my permission?"  
  
"Yes. No. Both, sort of. I mean, I'll be friends with her regardless. But I'd like your opinion."  
  
"All right. You're going through a doubting phase, Ted. Maybe this will sort you out. Where do we meet?"  
  
~~~  
  
Ted rounded the corner to the room of requirement and saw Andromeda. She was beaming; for a second he thought she was going to hug him. His stomach belly-flopped and they stopped awkwardly an inch in front of each other.  
  
"I missed you, Ted."  
  
"I missed you too, Andromeda."  
  
"How were your holidays?"  
  
"Er, pretty good. What about yours?"  
  
"They were...good."  
  
They smiled shyly at one another and got to work immediately on Potions, which went well as usual. Ted never told her of the countless letters he wrote but never sent. They didn't talk much and gave each other sideways, surreptitious glances.  
  
The clock struck nine and Andromeda yawned and got up. "I have to go. Next week?"  
  
Ted reached out and grabbed her arm, then quickly dropped it. She stared quizzically at him.  
  
"I was wondering if you'd like to meet my friend Kirley. He really wants to meet *you*," he added earnestly.  
  
"Really? Oh—all right. He isn't here now, is he?" She glanced around as if he would Apparate right then and there.  
  
"Nah, he never stays up past eight. He wants to meet us tomorrow at one. See, he can never get up past twelve."  
  
Andromeda laughed nervously. "It's not going to be here, is it? It has to be a private place."  
  
"I've got the perfect one." He grinned. "The Hogs Head."  
  
A/N: YAY to everyone who reviewed (including Metro Dweller, Eowyn Dernhelm, Fondy Cheesehead, Karri-Granger, Sarcasm Snape, Nimair Black, and everyone who reviewed before!!!)  
  
Next chapter there'll be lots more Andromeda/Ted interaction! 


	6. Reach Out

Chapter Six: Reach Out  
  
Disclaimer: Most everything here belongs to J.K. Rowling, once again. The song "Reach Out (I'll be There)" is by the Four Tops.  
  
It was snowing in Hogsmeade. The teachers were piling on more and more homework, so by the time Kirley and Andromeda got a free time to meet, it was the beginning of February.  
  
Andromeda didn't know what to expect when she arrived at the dingy, shady looking bar called the Hog's Head. She certainly had never been allowed in a place like that before! She found Ted with his friend Kirley hiding in a corner and giving shifty looks towards the door.  
  
"Well, it's nice to see that he takes the secrecy seriously," she thought. Then, waving and coming towards them, she noticed some dusty bottles they were trying to cover up.  
  
Without even saying hello, she grabbed them.  
  
"Firewhiskey?" Ha! Secrecy, indeed...  
  
Ted gave her an innocent smile and pointed at Kirley, who snorted.  
  
"I'll get us some butterbeers," said Andromeda.  
  
"Good idea!" Ted quickly agreed.  
  
She bought the drinks from the old bartender and tried to ignore the stares of the other customers—some of whom looked like regular patrons of the place. She wasn't worried about them recognizing her. They weren't likely to be anyone her parents associated with.  
  
She sat back down at the table and Ted made the introductions. "Andy, this is Kirley McCormack..."  
  
She gasped. "McCormack? Any relation to Catriona McCormack, the famous Quidditch player?"  
  
"My sister," he said sheepishly.  
  
"Wow—that's so incredible! The Pride of Portree is my favorite team in the league!"  
  
"Mine too!" he exclaimed, then added: "Well, obviously. This traitor here likes the Montrose Magpies." He gestured towards Ted.  
  
"Well," said Andromeda fairly, "They *are* a very good team."  
  
Ted beamed; his friend smirked. Andromeda found herself really liking Kirley. He and Ted had such easy, open ways about them. They bickered and bantered and told not very funny stories about their exploits with great enthusiasm.  
  
This prompted her to tell them about the fireworks incident with Sirius.  
  
"He sounds great," Ted said, wiping his eyes. "I've got to meet him and get some more ideas."  
  
"Boys!" Andromeda rolled her eyes, but she was smiling more than she had all year. "I'm more worried about the influence you'll have on him!"  
  
"We're not bad influences, are we Ted?"  
  
"Of course not! How could she have possibly said that about us?"  
  
"One word: firewhiskey."  
  
They all laughed some more with that happy intoxication only butterbeer and good company can give. Somehow the drab, dark barroom became light and cozy. Andromeda wished the night wouldn't end.  
  
But when it did, and the trio ventured out into the cold night again, going their separate ways, Andromeda thought she heard Kirley tell Ted, "I like her a lot. She doesn't seem like a Black at all."  
  
She grinned.  
  
~~~  
  
The beginning of the next week, Andromeda received a rather odd note from Fenwick. It was snuck under her Potions homework and after class she hid behind a statue to read it.  
  
"A.  
Lessons cancelled. Still meet me on Fri. at the ROR at 6:00, if you want.  
T."  
  
"Ooh, is that a love letter from your beau?" the statue pestered. "A secret rendez-vous for Valentine's Day, hmm?"  
  
She nearly dropped the letter in astonishment. Friday was Valentine's Day! If she didn't have so much on her mind, she would've known that. What could Ted mean by wanting to see her then? She half-wished, half-feared finding out.  
  
She hurried down the hall, ignoring the statue's snickers. "I won't bring my books and I'll skip dinner that night," she thought. "Just in case."  
  
~~~  
  
Friday night, Ted wasn't waiting for her at the end of the corridor like he usually did. Taking a deep breath, she flung open the door to her now- favorite room. It was spectacular. She had been expecting some cheesy too- pink design, complete with heart and cupid decorations.  
  
Instead she found a large, cozy room with a crackling fireplace, exotic dark purple and mahogany drapes, and a candlelit dinner. If she wasn't so nervous, she would've been floored.  
  
"Happy Valentine's Day," said Ted, popping up from behind her and closing the door. "In a very non-romantic way, of course."  
  
"Of course! Ted, this is...so unexpected—but really, really sweet."  
  
"Unexpected, eh? I notice you didn't bring any books."  
  
She blushed. "Maybe not so unexpected, then."  
  
They took their seats and a heart-shaped menu appeared in front of them.  
  
"That's from the house elves," Ted explained. "They helped me set this whole thing up."  
  
"Well, you'll have to thank them for me." She surveyed her menu but noticed Ted was still looking at her. She peered at him from the top of the heart.  
  
Now *he* blushed. "I'm sorry...I hope you haven't eaten already. We could just get dessert. And if you have something else to do, well, we could eat quickly..."  
  
She set down the menu. "Ted. I missed dinner, so I'm practically starving. And believe me—I can't thing of anywhere better to be right now than here. Chicken!"  
  
And the food appeared again right in front of her. Ted ordered steak. The dinner and dessert were delicious—to no one's surprise.  
  
They finished eating in contented silence, and then Andromeda leaned over past Ted and saw a black disc and contraption on another table.  
  
"What's that?" she asked.  
  
Ted leapt up. "Oh, I almost forgot. This," he said proudly, "Is a record player."  
  
She was still confused. "It's not...Muggle, is it?"  
  
"Oh yes, and way better than anything magical. Just wait and see." He set it up and after a short grinding sound music came on.  
  
"Now if you feel that you can't go on because all your hope is gone, and your life is filled with confusion, and happiness is just an illusion, and your world around is tumbling down, darling, reach out—reach out for me..."  
  
Andromeda giggled. Ted was singing along! His voice wasn't bad either. He motioned for her to get up.  
  
"Dancing?" What the heck! "All right, but if I tread on your toes, remember it was your idea!"  
  
They put their arms up and made to ballroom dance, but Ted stopped.  
  
"No, no, no...this is Muggle music. We've got to dance like this." And he put his arm around her waist. With slight hesitation, she put hers around his neck. They swayed to the music a bit awkwardly.  
  
"I'll be there to love and comfort you, I'll be there with the love—I'll see you through."  
  
This was the closest they've ever been. Andromeda gently brushed the hair away from his face to see his eyes. They were hazel—the most perfect hazel she had ever seen. Suddenly she couldn't breathe. Heart hammering, she pulled away from him.  
  
"Ted," she said shakily, "I...I can't do this."  
  
He shut the music off. "What? What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"  
  
"Yes—no! No, I'm fine. I don't need to see Madame Pomfrey or anybody!"  
  
"What is it then?"  
  
She paused, then blurted: "I know you like me as more than a friend. It's obvious. But I don't think I can return those feelings."  
  
There was silence. Ted's jaw tightened and he said quietly, "*Can't* return those feelings? Or won't? Or are you just denying them?"  
  
"I don't deny anything. You're not my type, Ted! Is that *my* fault?"  
  
More silence. "Of course not. I only wonder who your type is. Some rich pureblood snob like Lucius Malfoy or Derrick Avery? Would you really be happy with them?"  
  
"Don't insult Derrick. He's my best friend!"  
  
"Your parents will probably set you up with him," said Ted, his voice rising, "So it's a damn good thing you like him!"  
  
"I'll decide who I like, not my parents!" Andromeda yelled back.  
  
"Right! Even if you did like me the slightest bit, you wouldn't go for it! Don't try to deny it; I know that's the truth."  
  
They glowered at each other, but even in her anger Andromeda understood Ted. He was looking for proof—proof that she was being honest. Was she? She only wished she could figure out herself so easily.  
  
Ted, shaking his head, stalked off towards the door. Andromeda stuck her chin up imperiously.  
  
"People say a lot of things about our family," she thought. "But they've never called us cowardly!"  
  
So, instead of breaking down and crying, Andromeda marched right up to Ted. She had centuries of the purest wizarding blood running though her veins, but at that moment only her spine mattered. She had to do something to make things right between her and Ted. She was part of the Black family, and she was going to show those Muggleborns—this one in particular—where she stood.  
  
Grabbing his shoulders, she spun Ted around and kissed him square on the lips. When they came apart, he was staring openmouthed at her.  
  
He blinked, came to his senses, pulled her by the shoulders, and kissed her back.  
  
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, including Noodlejelly and Oracle2335! 


	7. Consequences

Chapter Seven: Consequences Disclaimer: Characters, places (pretty much everything) belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
"Ted! Ted, snap out of it!"  
  
They were in Transfiguration the next day, and Ted was still in a daze from the night before.  
  
"She kissed me," he repeated for the hundredth time. "She kissed me."  
  
"You sound like a broken recarb player," said Kirley, exasperated. "And remember, she dashed out of there right after it happened without saying a word. Not a good sign."  
  
"It's 'record' player," said Ted dreamily. "Which she really liked, by the way."  
  
Kirley gave up and asked McGonagall if they would be transfiguring anything useful, like earmuffs. She only rolled her eyes. A paper airplane zoomed into the room, landing on her desk. She unfolded and read it, looking puzzled.  
  
"Mr.Tonks, the Headmaster wants to see you straight away." She raised her voice to get a response. "Wake up, Tonks!"  
  
Several people in the class giggled as he came out of his reverie. "Wha—what? Why do I have to see Dumbledore?"  
  
Kirley nudged him, lifting his shoulders as if to say, "How should I know?" Ted gathered his books and managed to walk out of the classroom. What had he done now? He couldn't think of anything that might have gotten him in trouble, but then again he hadn't been thinking at all lately...  
  
He followed the directions on McGonagall's parchment up to Dumbledore's office. None of his friends had ever been in there before. The circular room was as eccentric as Dumbledore was himself. There were whirring silver devices everywhere and portraits on the wall. Even after five years at Hogwarts, Ted was still amazed every time he saw one move.  
  
"Ah, Ted. Thank you for coming." Dumbledore stepped out of nowhere, smiling slightly under his long beard. Ted relaxed immediately.  
  
"Don't worry, you're not in trouble," said the Headmaster, voicing exactly what Ted was thinking. "After all, your friend Andromeda is here as well."  
  
She stepped out from behind him, blushing and avoiding Ted's eyes. She seemed as confused as he was.  
  
"Hi," he whispered as she went to stand by him. She smiled back shyly.  
"To get to the point," said Dumbledore, as if he hadn't noticed their awkwardness at all, "I just wanted to know how the tutoring was going."  
  
"How'd you know about that?" asked Ted, mystified.  
  
"There isn't much going on in Hogwarts that I *don't* know about, Mr. Tonks." He paused, and his eyes twinkled. "It helped, of course, that Professor Fenwick told me about it."  
  
"But why?" blurted Andromeda. "Why would you care if a student needs extra help in Potions?"  
  
"I care if any student needs help in any subject," he answered earnestly. "But in this case...it was somewhat different. I don't want to give offense, but you two are an odd couple."  
  
"We're not a couple," they said at the same time. Dumbledore only smiled.  
  
"I meant that you have an unlikely friendship. When your parents requested that you be given extra help, Miss. Black, it put Professor Fenwick in an interesting situation. There was a great possibility you and Mr. Tonks wouldn't get along—simply because your backgrounds are so different. But he also thought that you could learn from one another. You could learn that things aren't always in black and white, though some others may have told you otherwise."  
  
Andromeda suddenly looked uncomfortable, and Ted took her hand in a reassuring way. "Please, Professor. Let's keep my family out of this."  
  
"It's not just your family." He sighed. "The whole wizarding world is changing. In ten years Muggle-borns and purebloods may be afraid to speak with one another, let alone hold hands."  
  
"That will never happen," said Ted. "Sure, there might be some nutters out there who care about stuff like that, but the vast majority doesn't. They're sane."  
  
"Unfortunately, there are more than just a few nutters out there. And you wouldn't believe how fast they panic—and therefore control—the 'sane' majority."  
  
"So what's your point?" asked Andromeda bitterly. "Should we hide in the Room of Requirement for the rest of our lives?"  
  
The greatest wizard of the age stared them down. "No. I'm asking you to do something much more difficult, and therefore more courageous. Be careful, as you have always been, and remain friends. But when the time is right—and you will know when that is—you will have to decide which is more important: your friendship, or what people think of you."  
  
There was silence. Dumbledore checked his magnificent clock and said, "You had better get back to class now, or Professor McGonagall will have a few 'words' with me in the staff meeting today. And they won't be pleasant."  
  
Ted and Andromeda laughed weakly as he ushered them out.  
  
"What did he mean?" asked Andromeda as they went down the stairs.  
  
"Who knows? It's Dumbledore; I don't think anyone is supposed to really understand him. In any case, we have two years to think about it."  
  
They stopped at the bottom of the stairwell and, safely hidden behind the gargoyle door, Ted made his move.  
  
"Andromeda, about that kiss last night..."  
  
She blushed again. "Ted, it was just..."  
  
"No, wait. Hear me out. I know why you did it and I know when enough's enough. It's fine if you only want to be friends. I suppose I owe you an apology, so...I'm sorry. I was pretty rude."  
  
"I didn't behave much better, so I'm sorry too. As for the kiss...it might have had more reasons than one behind it." Seeing his face brighten, she added, "But don't get your hopes up. For now we're friends?"  
  
He nodded and went to shake her hand. Then he realized he was still holding it.  
  
~~~  
  
For the rest of the week, Andromeda mulled over what went on in Dumbledore's office and tried (without success) to stop thinking about Ted. She thought she was doing a pretty good job of hiding her feelings—until Derrick began questioning her.  
  
"You weren't at dinner Friday night," he stated, taking a seat next to her at the table in the library. Andromeda was busy working on Potions homework. She looked up at her longtime friend, and once again thought of Ted. They were so different. Derrick's dark brown hair was as clean-cut as could be. As was the rest of him.  
  
"I...wasn't hungry," she faltered. "I felt sick so I went to bed early."  
  
"That's not what Priscilla Normad told me," he pressed. "She said you came in late at night and didn't get to sleep for hours afterward."  
  
"Since when do you chat with Priscilla Normad? And anyways, her story makes no sense. How would she know if I'm sleeping or not?"  
  
"You snore. I found that out the night I slept over at your house, remember?" He sighed. "I know you well enough now, or I hope I do, to know when something's going on. And something's been going on ever since you started being tutored."  
  
He stared expectedly at her.  
  
"Derrick," she said, temper rising, "What I do in my spare time is none of your business. I appreciate your concern, I really do. But you don't have to stalk me like you're my brother or something."  
  
"Brother?" he said bitterly. "Fine. You're right. But you *do* know that you can tell me anything, and I'll listen. Anything at all."  
  
"I'll remember that, thanks," she said. She picked up a book and began reading it, determinedly not looking at him. He eventually got up and walked away, but not before looking back at her one long, last time. It was eerily familiar.  
  
"Oh no," she thought. "Here we go again."  
  
A/N: Thank you all for reviewing, including KylarK, Hitchcock, and Sarahamanda!  
  
Karri-Granger, I don't know of any Andromeda/Ted fics here on ff.n, but there are lots of ones about Andromeda (and the Black family in general) over at the Sugarquill. 


	8. A Close Call

Chapter Eight: A Close Call  
  
Disclaimer: All of this belongs to J.K. Rowling!  
  
It was the beginning of April and nearly everyone in school but the fifth years were spending time outside for fresh air and sunshine. Even the Room of Requirement was becoming cramped and stuffy for Andromeda and Ted, no matter how many bright windows they put in. It never seemed the same as the actual outdoors.  
  
So Ted wasn't pleased to be wandering the halls on a Saturday afternoon by himself.  
  
"Bloody prefect duties," he thought. "Why on earth did Sprout pick me? I wouldn't have signed up for *this*."  
  
He headed towards the dungeons, hoping to catch a glimpse of Andromeda while steering clear of the other Slytherins. Almost to the end of the hall, he heard voices from inside one of the classrooms and went to investigate.  
  
He stopped immediately when he heard Andromeda's name, standing a little ways down from the open door.  
  
"—Andromeda has been acting strange lately, hasn't she? You don't know what's going on?" It was a boy's voice, suspicious and hesitant.  
  
"Since my dear sister never talks to me, I don't know a thing."  
  
Ted almost jumped in recognition—that cold voice belonged to none other then Bellatrix Black! Normally it wasn't in Ted's nature to eavesdrop. But where Andromeda and Bellatrix were concerned, he felt he had the obligation to.  
  
"So...why did you want to see me? She doesn't tell me anything either."  
  
"How strange, Derrick. I thought you were her best friend."  
  
"So what are you implying? That I'm not a good friend?"  
  
"No. I'm implying *she* isn't. Though I hate to say it of my own sister, you may be better off not being friends. Her stories...don't add up."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Bellatrix gave a harsh laugh. "Have you been paying any attention at all these last few months? She says she's being tutored by a fellow Slytherin. If that's true, then he must be an imaginary one. I've talked to everyone. No one's tutoring her."  
  
"Are you sure? I don't think Andromeda would lie—"  
  
"You're so naïve, Derrick. She does it all the time, and my poor parents simply ignore it. Not this time though..."  
  
"Are you going to tell them?"  
  
"Not until I get some proof. That wouldn't take long...if you helped me."  
  
There was silence. Finally he replied, "All right. I'll do it. But only if it will help Andromeda."  
  
Bellatrix's voice practically dripped with contempt. "Oh, it'll help her. Don't worry about that."  
  
Ted made his escape down the hall, because it sounded like they would be leaving any minute. He ran into the boy's bathroom, panting and thinking. He didn't believe a bit of what Bellatrix said; Derrick—whoever he was—must be a fool to. He was astonished at how she could so casually try to ruin her own sister's life. He had to tell Andromeda. If they were really going to check her, she needed a new cover story.  
  
He went back down to the dungeons to see Fenwick an hour later. Their study meetings would have to be changed—with the first new one tonight.  
  
~~~  
  
Ted rushed Andromeda inside the Room of Requirement as soon as he saw her.  
  
"Quick! You weren't followed, were you?"  
  
"Ted," she said in bemusement, "I'm the paranoid one, remember? What's so urgent that you had to see me tonight, anyway?"  
  
"You may not like hearing this, but you have to believe me. Even if she is your sister..."  
  
"What did Bellatrix do now?" demanded Andromeda. "And how could you seriously think I'd take her word over yours?"  
  
He told her what he had heard. When he finished, he added, "And who's this Derrick?"  
  
Her fists clenched. "My friend. Or at least I thought he was."  
  
Ted shrugged, trying not to feel jealous. "Talk it over with him. He didn't seem too thrilled that Bellatrix was coming to him for help."  
  
"But he wants to know the truth as much as she does. And he'll do anything to get it."  
"That's why you have to be more careful! Don't do anything stupid—"  
  
"Like running up to Bella and yelling at her for sneaking around my back?"  
  
"Exactly!" Ted said in relief.  
  
"Then that's what I'll do."  
  
He opened his mouth to argue, then, seeing the murderous look on Andromeda's face, decided it was best not to. He sighed.  
  
"I hope you know what you're doing."  
  
~~~  
  
The next morning Andromeda sought out Bellatrix in the common room. She sauntered straight over to her sister and smirked, just because she knew it would get on her nerves. Bella gave her a blank, careful look.  
  
"You should have been a Gryffindor, Bella."  
  
"What?" Her sister's eyes flashed. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"You're just so brave," said Andromeda innocently. "If you wanted to know something, say, who was tutoring me, you'd come right up and ask. You'd never spy on me, or try to wheedle information out of my friends. Would you?"  
  
Bella's eyes narrowed; she knew she was trapped. "Andromeda, people go to extreme lengths when they're desperate! I knew you yourself would never tell me...I had no choice."  
  
"Rubbish! You only wanted something to pin on me for Mother and Father! You—"  
  
But she stopped at the sight of Derrick, who had just come down the stairs.  
  
"Traitor!" she yelled. He blinked and stepped back, then shot a terrified look at Bellatrix.  
  
"*I* didn't tell her," Bella said loftily. "The real question now is—who did?"  
  
Who did? How would she explain that? As Andromeda struggled with what to say now that the topic had reached very dangerous grounds, Derrick gave a deep sigh.  
  
"Sorry, Andromeda. The game is up. I never should have told you about what Bella said. I didn't think you'd be so touchy!"  
  
For a second all Andromeda could think was, "What the—?" Then Derrick nodded his head ever so slightly, saying plainly with his eyes, "Trust me. Play along."  
  
Calling up all her fury, she said, "So touchy! Excuse me, but you're the one who almost ruined everything with your idiocy. And you almost told her the truth!"  
  
Bella perked up now, looking exited. "What's this? Tell me, Derrick. You know you want to. Tell me everything."  
  
"Very well," he said in defeat. "You should know who your sister is going out with. We thought this tutoring thing would be the perfect ruse to hide our secret. I suppose it looked too suspicious. Then when you began asking me all those questions..."  
  
It was a good thing Bellatrix was staring at Derrick; otherwise she would have seen Andromeda wearing the same confused look as her own. Slowly she understood.  
  
"Do you mean...that *you* are the Slytherin tutoring her?"  
  
"That's right," said Derrick. "Though, needless to say, we do a bit more than tutoring together."  
  
Andromeda was practically shaking with relief, even while rolling her eyes. They were actually going to pull it off!  
  
Bella was hysterical. "So—so after all this time, when I thought she was socializing with a—a Gryffindor—or worse—"  
  
"Hufflepuff," Andromeda corrected inside her head.  
  
"—she was just—just snogging *you*!"  
  
They both nodded and tried to look guilty. It wasn't difficult. After Bellatrix stormed off in a huff, Derrick led Andromeda into a corner so they could talk.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "She came to me, I swear it. I won't ask how you found out, or who your real tutor is. I don't want to know. All I know is that he's very lucky."  
  
"Derrick," she whispered back, "Don't apologize. I should be thanking you, for what you did back there. So...thanks. Thank you so much"  
  
He shrugged. "I made a huge mistake. Therefore, it was my responsibility to fix it. That story was the first one that came to my mind."  
  
And she had no idea what that meant.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reviewing!!! 


	9. Quidditch

Chapter Nine: Quidditch Disclaimer: Almost all of this belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
It was the night before the Quidditch game that would determine who played for the Cup—Slytherin or Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw had to play Gryffindor at the end of May, and the match for the Quidditch Cup would be in June.  
  
Ted and Kirley were ecstatic about their Hufflepuff's chances. Kirley played Seeker for the team, because his sister did. Though Ted was more of a music fan, he liked the sport as much as anybody else.  
  
Andromeda was also exited. She didn't play Quidditch (too "unladylike", her parents said), but she loved watching it. It would be a nice diversion from the tediousness of her life. She was getting more and more homework, struggling to keep up. It didn't help that Ted was now asking *her* to help him in Defense Against the Dark Arts, her best subject.  
  
She was most happy studying with Ted, who acted as though the OWLs were just homework assignments that weren't even graded. Though he still begged her for help. Andromeda didn't want to do any work on this Friday.  
  
All week long she had acted like the perfect Slytherin pureblood: proud, aloof, clever. But on Friday night she tried on bell bottoms and tye- dyed blouses, put flowers in her hair, and danced with Ted to Muggle music he called "Billboard's 100 Greatest Hits from 1969".  
  
Quidditch was the only thing that drove them apart. Andromeda  
hadn't been  
paying much attention to Quidditch through the season; she had bigger  
things to worry  
about. But with Bellatrix successfully off her tail (and Andromeda was  
being especially nice to her, just in case), she was back to being a Quidditch manic. It was too bad she and Ted were rooting for opposite teams.  
  
"Hufflepuff's strong this year," Ted was saying. "Kirley's an amazing Seeker. I tell you, there's talent in his family."  
  
"You're just saying that because he's your friend," teased Andromeda.  
  
"An added bonus, 'cause it's true," replied Ted with a grin.  
  
"You're forgetting that we have Lucius Malfoy on our team. I despise the git but you can't deny he's a good beater."  
  
"He's the one who'll be getting a beating—just wait and see!"  
  
Andromeda heaved a sigh. "You know, it's impossible to debate with you, Ted. Soon you'll convince me that I'm supporting a Badger!"  
  
"You are on our side, deep down. You're not completely too far gone."  
  
"Ha, ha," she replied dryly. "I'll see you at the game. Don't bother going to the Championship game, though. You'll have no one to root for."  
  
"I bet you'll go, through." Grinning impudently, he tossed her a black and yellow scarf. "And make sure to wear this."  
  
"In your dreams!" she yelled as he gathered up his things.  
  
"See you tomorrow!" he called back, and he sauntered out the door.  
  
Ugh! How she hated—yet loved—his cocky grin, his messy hair, his...  
  
She gave herself a little shake. "Come back to reality..." she thought. "Ted's fun. But we don't say anything meaningful to one another. We never could..."  
  
Now that he had gone she wrapped the scarf around her neck, feeling its warmth. Then she stuffed it into her robes, and left.  
  
~~~  
  
"Ted, I'm not feeling well," whispered Kirley. He was in his yellow robes, clutching his Cleansweep and laying on the floor in the changing room. The rest of the team was huddled around him. Ted could hear the cheering from the stadium outside and began to feel sick himself.  
  
Ted was with the team to give his best friend moral support and pre- game prepping. But now he didn't know what to say. It wasn't nervous jitters; Kirley had gone pasty white. Except for the orange dots scattered all across his face.  
  
"Everybody, stand back," Ted ordered. "It's a strange rash. I dunno, it could even be Dragon's Pox."  
  
Kirley groaned. "I hope...it's curable."  
  
"Don't worry," said Ted, his voice shaking a bit, "Madame Pomfrey will fix you up."  
  
A second later the nurse herself came rushing in. "Oh, dear," she sighed. "Not another one."  
  
"Huh?" Ted asked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that many Quidditch players are getting these strange rashes," she said, conjuring a stretcher and levitating Kirley up onto it. "Though none from the Slytherin team, I notice."  
  
Ted was about to protest that the Slytherins can't be blamed for everything when Kirley rasped, "Is it...?"  
  
"Yes, yes, it's curable," Madam Pomfrey answered soothingly. "We'll have to get you the antidote, of course, and at least a week's bed rest..."  
  
"Can I come too?" asked Ted. "I could help."  
  
"You'd be better help by staying here. He needs peace and quiet at least for a few days. You can visit him then."  
  
As they trotted away, Kirley frantically called back to him about something. Now that he knew his friend would be all right, Ted worried about the match. How could Hufflepuff possibility win without a seeker? If they forfeited, they would lose any chance at the Quidditch Cup.  
  
He went up to the captain. "I'll play Seeker for Kirley."  
  
She eyed his wide frame doubtfully. "That's nice, Ted. But are you sure? It's against the rules. Besides, you might make a complete fool out of yourself."  
  
"I probably will. But Kirley will hex me if I don't, if I don't hex myself first. As for the rules...I'm sure Dumbledore will let me play under *these* circumstances. So am I in?"  
  
~~~  
  
As the Slytherin team flew into the stadium, Andromeda cheered along with everyone else, though hers were rather half-hearted. She heard rumors going around that the Slytherins were poisoning the other Houses' seekers. At that moment she wasn't too proud of the green and silver banner Derrick was waving.  
  
"Boo!" he joined in with the crowd as the Hufflepuff team flew by. She shot him a reproachful look.  
  
She scanned the team for Kirley, but to her shock and surprise found—Ted!? What was *he* doing?  
  
"And we have a substitute today," Ryan King, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, boomed on the loudspeaker. "McCormack is out for some serious and suspicious injuries; ask me for details later, but his friend Ted Tonks has gamely agreed to fill in, in this unusual leniency of the rules!"  
  
Cheers from the Hufflepuff side; more boos from the Slytherins. Including the team. Judging by the way they were huddled together, muttering and throwing dark looks at Ted, the situation didn't sit too well with them. Ted was oblivious to this, of course.  
  
The match began, and Andromeda was surprised at how good Ted was. He swerved easily around the action of the teams. Unfortunately, the illness of their teammate seemed to have daunted the Hufflepuffs. Within the first five minutes, they lost six goals to Slytherin.  
  
"And Lestrange comes in, he's in the scoring zone—he misses, excellent save by Bones. The tide may be turning here!"  
  
Andromeda smirked; Rabastan Lestrange was one of Bellatrix's toadys. Now she knew why her sister always sneered, "I don't attend Quidditch matches."  
  
"Here comes the Captain, she's going to shoot, she swerves Malfoy, pass to Bones, nice use of the Porskoff Ploy there—she scores! Ten points to Hufflepuff!"  
  
With several other good plays, Ted's team managed to hang on 80-40. Rabastan was now flying down the field, Quaffle in hand, for another attempt to score. Ted came out from underneath him, accelerating.  
  
"The first time player's going wild here!" yelled King. "It must be the Snitch. Yes, I think he's going for it!"  
  
Then Andromeda spotted the Snitch, half an arms length ahead of Ted. But half an arms length behind him was Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"What is he doing—" But she never finished the question. As a Bludger flew by Malfoy, he raised his bat and shouted something that sounded horribly like "Mudblood!" Then he swung and lobbed the Bludger and bat directly at Ted's back.  
  
Ted crumpled and fell off his broom, falling towards the pitch from at least 100 feet, hitting the ground with a thud.  
  
Andromeda had no idea what she was doing. She could barely think. She jumped up out of her seat, terrified, and to the shock of all the Slytherins around her (one in particular), she screamed, "TED!"  
  
A/N: Thanks everyone for reviewing, including Clarey the Angelic Squishy and snapes kid!  
  
Oracle 2335, about Derrick being a Death Eater—he has some relatives that are bad influences, but he may not be the person in his family to become one. This is almost to the end, so you'll find out... 


	10. The Beginning

Chapter Ten: The Beginning  
  
Disclaimer: This belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me!  
  
Andromeda bolted, pushing past the spectators in the stands. She had almost reached the end of her row when someone grabbed her arm from behind.  
  
"Derrick!" she gasped. "Let me go!"  
  
He shook her. "Have you gone mad? Come to your senses!"  
  
She tried to pull away. "I have to go...go see if he's all right. I have to! Don't make me hex you!"  
  
Madame Pomfrey was running out onto the pitch. The absolute silence that had followed Ted's fall was broken by the chatter of everyone in the stands. Andromeda could barely hear Derrick's voice over the din.  
  
"Don't be stupid," he whispered. "You've already made a mess of things, and if you tear off to him it'll only be worse."  
  
She nodded and followed him back to her seat, numb. He wasn't looking at her.  
  
"What a wimp," taunted Priscilla Normad with a smug smile on her face. "No wonder Andromeda hasn't been coming to Quidditch games—she gets queasy when it gets the slightest bit rough."  
  
The other Slytherins laughed appreciatively and Andromeda stopped shaking. Little did Priscilla know that while she had hurt her pride, she'd saved her hide. Ted was now floating away along with Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"He's going to be fine," she told herself. "He's going to be fine..."  
  
"What!" yelled King on the loudspeaker. "Only one penalty shot for Hufflepuff!? That's the most—the worst, it's so unfair..."  
  
Even he was unable to speak coherently.  
  
"Does that mean Malfoy isn't disqualified? After what he did?" Andromeda was incredulous.  
  
Priscilla rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you're so naïve. Don't you know that the Beaters' main goal is to take out the Seeker?"  
  
"You didn't hear what he said," Andromeda whispered under her breath. She forced herself to watch the rest of the match, depressing as it was with Derrick sitting next to her in a stony silence.  
  
Luckily Slytherin won only twenty minutes later. Andromeda rushed out in the direction of the Hospital Wing, disgusted.  
  
~~~  
  
When Ted came to, he was lying on a bed in the Hospital Wing. He sat up, feeling fine. Madam Pomfrey had mended his (many) broken bones; there was a definite advantage to getting hurt in the wizarding world. But though he was mended physically, he felt as confused and shocked as when he first arrived to Hogwarts five years ago, dressed in jeans and not knowing anything.  
  
He heard clearly what Malfoy said, and why he did that to him. Malfoy was someone Ted only knew by reputation, someone he'd never spoken to in the past. And if Malfoy could do something like that as a fourteen year old, what would he be like when he was eighteen and out of school?  
  
Ted leaned back, miserable, until he heard his favorite voice in the world from behind the curtains hiding his bed.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey, I need to see Ted Tonks to see how he's doing...after what happened."  
  
"Miss. Black, he's resting and very likely in shock. He doesn't need any more problems today—"  
  
"Madam Pomfrey, I'm awake!" Ted yelled. "Let her in! Please!"  
  
The curtains flapped open and the nurse's harried face loomed into view. "Very well, but only for ten minutes! And there better not be anything *inappropriate* going on."  
  
Andromeda came in hesitantly and sat next to him on the bed. "How are you doing?"  
  
"You know Madam Pomfrey," Ted said lightly. "I'm completely healed and I'll be in here for a couple more weeks."  
  
Andromeda smiled shakily.  
  
"You can laugh, you know." He paused. "I...guess you were worried, then."  
  
"Worried! Ted, I was terrified. I nearly fainted in the stands and made an utter fool out of myself!"  
  
Their eyes met, and Ted saw she truly cared. And Ted truly trusted her, as much as he trusted his parents and Kirley.  
  
"Do you know what Malfoy said to me?"  
  
Andromeda bit her lip, the way she always did when she was hiding something. "Did he say something? I couldn't hear."  
  
"Meda, come on. What did you hear?"  
  
"You called me Meda. No one calls me that, except my cousin Sirius."  
  
"Is it all right if I call you that?"  
  
She smiled. "I want you to." Then she stopped stalling and said, "I heard a word that no one decent would say. Ted, anything Malfoy says is rubbish."  
  
"I know that. After all, he said, 'Go home, Mudblood.'"  
  
Andromeda took his hand and squeezed it. "Ted, you're a wonderful wizard and always will be. The only place Malfoy will ever end up is in an Azkaban prison cell. Remember what Dumbledore told us when we met with him?"  
  
"Yes," said Ted. "He said things will get worse. And Dumbledore's only the greatest wizard alive since Merlin, so what does he know?"  
  
"Not *that*. He said...that we have to be brave because...our love will transcend anything that happens."  
  
Ted's throat went dry and he blinked, heart hammering. "He...he never said anything like that."  
  
Andromeda tucked her thick black hair behind her ears and leaned in closer. "Perhaps I'm saying it."  
  
Ted leaned forward and whispered, "What happened to us only being friends?"  
  
"Oh, I might have gotten tired of waiting for you to make a move." Her eyes were teasing—invitation enough for him.  
  
Wrapping his arms around her, they kissed their first real kiss. They broke apart, and moved in to continue—  
  
"Just what I feared!" Madam Pomfrey flung open the curtains. "You can't let teenagers with unstable emotions in a bed behind closed doors." Though she tried her best to look stern, the corners of her mouth were dangerously close to tipping upward. "You, Miss. Black—out! Mr.Tonks—sleep!"  
  
Their protests did no good and Ted reluctantly watched Andromeda go. He still couldn't believe what had happened, and couldn't wait to tell Kirley. Kirley was just as well as he was, reading Martin the Mad Muggle comics (which Ted wasn't fond of, for obvious reasons) a few beds down.  
  
Then again, he might not tell Kirley. Unless he asked questions.  
  
~~~  
  
Andromeda dreaded going back to the Slytherin common room. By all accounts, she was lucky. Most of the Slytherins who saw her embarrassing display hated Bella and her crowd. Bella and her crowd either weren't there or too busy watching Ted's bones break to pay attention to the spectators. Still, she was worried about Derrick.  
  
Before she even reached the dungeons, she ran into that very person.  
  
"Derrick!"  
  
He looked the other way and continued down the hall.  
  
"Derrick, come on! Don't be a prat."  
  
He turned and rounded on her angrily. "*I'm* the one being a prat? When you've been lying and going behind my back all year? To think that I covered up for you!"  
  
She sighed. "Do you want to hear the truth or not?"  
  
"Whether I want it or not, I deserve it!"  
  
"Fine," she said coolly. "Then come in here."  
  
They snuck into an empty classroom, checking to make sure no one could spy, eavesdrop, or "accidentally overhear" something.  
  
"Ted's been my Potions tutor," Andromeda began.  
  
"What a surprise!" Derrick said sarcastically. "Why on earth would you have to hide *his* identity from your sister?"  
  
"Give him a chance. You've never even met him. He's never said anything mean about you, and I talk about you all the time."  
  
Derrick's shoulders sagged. "He knows about me?"  
  
"How could he not? You're my best friend."  
  
Derrick mulled it over for a bit, and then said, "In that case I should meet him. Not that there's any chance I'll like him."  
  
Andromeda gave him a warm, thankful, and very platonic hug. "I knew you'd come around. It took less time than I expected, however."  
  
"Well," Derrick said wryly, "At least he's not in Gryffindor."  
  
A/N: Thanks for reviewing! ( 


	11. OWL Year is Over

Chapter Eleven: OWL Year is Over Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling!  
  
Two weeks later, Ted nervously met Derrick Avery for the first time.  
  
"Relax," Andromeda told him. "Just try not to be yourself."  
  
"What?" Ted snapped, making her giggle.  
  
"I'm joking! Though you may want to, erm, make your hair a bit neater."  
  
Ted rubbed his hands though his hair and grumbled good-naturedly, "I wish you had never lightened up and started joking."  
  
Andromeda gave him a quick kiss. "You have only yourself to blame for that—and there's no going back."  
  
"No going back" was the way he felt waiting in the Hog's Head. In a way it was ironic. This was the bar Andromeda first met his best friend, and now at last he was meeting hers.  
  
Derrick skulked in, and Ted saw that he was also looking uneasy.  
  
"Hello Ted, Andromeda," he said formally, sitting down. They were at the table farthest from the door, hidden behind some shady wizards in cloaks smoking pipes.  
  
"Wotcher," Ted answered. Derrick's face clouded with confusion for a moment, then he laughed and the tension broke.  
  
"Same to you. How are you feeling? Oh, and how's your friend feeling?"  
  
"I'm fine, and Kirley's great. We're both bummed that we lost the match though."  
  
Derrick shrugged. "It was unfair, I'll give you that. But house pride prevents me from being too upset with the results."  
  
"It hasn't prevented me so far," said Andromeda. "I hope Ravenclaw crushes us in the finals."  
  
Derrick snorted and said derisively, "You should be in Ravenclaw, then."  
  
"Meda could have been," Ted defended her. "She's certainly smart enough."  
  
Andromeda blushed. "Didn't *you* have to tutor me in Potions?"  
  
"How are you as a tutor, Ted?" Derrick put in. "Is she going to pass her Potions OWL?"  
  
"Better than pass, and not just because I tutored her. If she puts some effort into it, she could even get an 'Outstanding.'"  
  
"There's just one problem," she said. "We all know I won't put some effort into it."  
  
They laughed, though they all knew in less than a week they would be facing the exams themselves. Ted dreaded them for two reasons. One, because he wasn't too thrilled about taking exams in the first place. More importantly, it meant the year was almost over. As if the beautiful weather wasn't enough indication, the calendar told him it was the end of May. It would be impossible to see Andromeda over the summer. And next year, she wouldn't need tutoring anymore. They could always meet, but it wouldn't be as special as the past year had been.  
  
There was an awkward silence, each of them busy with their own thoughts, and then the conversation turned to Houses and their experiences with the Sorting Hat.  
  
"The Hat didn't know what House to put me in," Andromeda was saying. "It said I would do well in any of them. I told it to put me in Slytherin then, as everyone in my family was going there anyway."  
  
Ted couldn't tell if she regretted this or not.  
  
"It said I'd do well in Slytherin," said Derrick. "Sly, cunning...that's me to a tee."  
  
Andromeda rolled her eyes. "What about you, Ted? Does Hufflepuff fit you to a tee?"  
  
"Nah—I wish it did! The Hat put me there pretty quickly, if that means anything."  
  
"You're lucky," Derrick said. "You didn't have any family to be compared to. Everyone complains about Muggleborns being prejudiced against. But those same people assume you're evil if you come from a rich pureblood background."  
  
"Hear, hear," Andromeda chimed.  
  
"I never thought about it that way," said Ted. "Until I met Andromeda, I would have been one of those people you mentioned. Guess I had to step up and see that I was wrong."  
  
Derrick looked at Ted as if he were really seeing him for the first time. "You're all right, Ted. You make a lot of sense."  
  
"For a Muggleborn," Ted added, and they laughed.  
  
Andromeda let out a long breath. "Let's go outside," she suggested. "It's a beautiful day."  
  
~~~  
  
A few days later, Ravenclaw beat Slytherin to win the Quidditch Cup. Derrick sulked but Andromeda couldn't have been happier. It was justice; she now felt rejuvenated enough for the OWLs. Overall, she thought she did well. She was almost positive that she would get an easy 'Outstanding' for Defense Against the Dark Arts. All the examiners clapped for her at the end.  
  
She and Ted moved their meeting to Monday, after the Potions exam. That way they could celebrate success together...or she could sob on his shoulder. Throughout all the other exams—Charms, Herbology, Ancient Runes—she wondered idly how Ted was doing. She saw him cramming both food and studying with Kirley at lunch on Sunday. Andromeda didn't trust herself to eat.  
  
She sat down early Monday at her own table in the Great Hall and read the first question on the parchment: "What does the essence of hellebore produce?"  
  
She thought back to her very first lesson with Ted, and how they made the Draft of Peace together.  
  
"I know this! We went over this!"  
  
Feeling more peaceful, she went to work and to her amazement—the practical and written parts went smoothly!  
  
Professor Fenwick motioned her to come over to him after it was over. "Excellent job," he whispered. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Relieved," Andromeda sighed. "I think I got an Excellent, at least."  
  
"At least," Fenwick agreed. "And if I may say so, your friend Mr. Tonks just made one perfect potion after another; the examiners were quite shocked. He's a master."  
  
Andromeda felt like singing. Both she and Ted did well! And she was glad Fenwick told her—Ted was too modest to brag about how well he did. The Potions professor raised his eyebrows at her ecstatic grin and strode away. But he nodded his head to her as he left.  
  
Later that night in the Room of Requirement, Andromeda ran right up to Ted and hugged him.  
  
"Thank you so much!" she shouted as he spun her around. "I think I did wonderfully! Except in History of Magic, of course. But who cares about that?"  
  
"I did pretty well," Ted said modestly, as usual. "I even understood Defense! Though we won't really know what we got until July, will we?"  
  
"I don't care if I'm counting my dragons before they hatch! I'm simply glad it's over."  
  
Ted crossed the room and sat down at the table, shoulders slumping. "I'm not," he said glumly.  
  
Andromeda sat beside him. "I know what you mean. I don't know how I'll survive the summer without you."  
  
"We'll survive...but we'll be miserable."  
  
"We can't even keep in touch by owl post! I'll have to pretend to write you like I did last Christmas."  
  
Ted laughed weakly. "You—you pretended to write me? I did the same thing last Christmastime! I wrote letters to you but never sent them."  
  
Andromeda laughed too, even though she wanted to cry. "And we weren't even as close then as we are now."  
  
Ted pulled her close and kissed her. Knowing that this might be their last private moment together for three months, they kissed some more. And some more...  
  
The next two weeks went by in a blur for both of them. To no one's surprise, Slytherin won the House Cup. This spurred another round of bitter Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry, as Gryffindor came in second, behind by only thirty points.  
  
It was a bright June day when Andromeda Black boarded the train to go back to a place she barely thought of as home. In the midst of the cheerful crowd she spotted Ted lugging his trunks and waving goodbye to his friends. She felt an odd mix of love and jealousy looking at him.  
  
"At least his family isn't mad," she thought. "His summer won't be all bad."  
  
She didn't say much on the ride home. Watching trees and houses whiz by, she remembered boarding the Hogwarts Express for school at the beginning of the year.  
  
"I didn't even know Ted then," she realized. "Somehow it seems like ages ago. I didn't have this big secret from my family, this other life..."  
  
She had crossed an invisible barrier with Ted, one that separated her from people she loved—though they didn't know it yet. But she couldn't play both sides. She knew which one to choose.  
  
And there was no going back.  
  
A/N: Well, that was the end of their fifth year. I want to continue this story, possibility skipping sixth year (nothing much happens, anyway) and going on to seventh. Or doing and Epilogue of their lives after they graduate. So what does everyone think?  
  
Once again, thanks so much for reviewing (including hydraspit!) 


	12. The Beginning of the End

Chapter Twelve: The Beginning of the End  
  
Disclaimer: This all belongs to J.K. Rowling!  
  
A/N: Well, I've decided to start back up with Ted and Andromeda's seventh year. They still saw each other in sixth year, and they both got 'Outstanding' for Potions OWL!  
  
"Hurry up, Meda! We don't want to miss the train!"  
  
Sirius practically dragged his older cousin through the platform, ahead of everyone else in the family.  
  
"You're not a bit excited about coming to Hogwarts, are you?" Andromeda teased.  
  
"Anything's better than Grimmauld Place," he said. "Even if I will have to spend the next seven years rooming with Wilkes, Rosier, and Snape."  
  
He made a face. His parents had already introduced him to some boys in his year that would most likely be in Slytherin. They all detested Sirius; he felt the same way about them.  
  
"Well, you could always escape to the dungeon—I mean, common room."  
  
Sirius gave her his "you're not helping" look. Andromeda put her arm around him.  
  
"Cheer up. Perhaps you won't even be in Slytherin."  
  
He gave a bitter laugh. "Sure! Like *that* would ever happen. The Sorting Hat has a default mode when it comes to our family."  
  
"The Sorting Hat can be manipulated," she assured him. "Just don't do what I did, and sit there letting it all happen. Convince the Hat you belong somewhere else."  
  
Sirius mumbled something doubtfully.  
  
"Your parents would be furious," she added. Sirius grinned at that.  
  
Then he was almost knocked to the ground as his brother barreled into him. Regulus' lower lip was quivering in a pout and he had his arms across his chest.  
  
"Don't leave, Sirius," he begged. "Please! It's not fair you get to go off and I'm stuck by myself with no one to play with."  
  
Sirius tousled his brother's hair and hugged him. "I'm going to miss you, Reg, I really will. But in two years you'll be coming here yourself. Believe me, you'll be glad."  
  
"Glad to see you, but not to leave Mother and Father."  
  
Sirius and Andromeda exchanged a look and didn't respond. The rest of the family was meandering through the crowd, saying their goodbyes. Andromeda's aunt and uncle looked torn between being happy and anxious. Happy that their eldest son would be gone and out of their hair; anxious that he'd just get into more trouble at school and humiliate them.  
  
Andromeda looked around the crowded platform for Ted. She gave up. It was no use trying to find him now. Her parents were busy with their favorite children and once again, she was pushed aside.  
  
Her mother was buttering up Bella. "You look so beautiful, with that hair of yours. Now that you're a Prefect, the boys will be lining up for you."  
  
"They've been lining up for me for years, Mother," Bella drawled.  
  
Near by, her father was trying to hug Narcissa, who, now that she was a "teenager", had developed an aversion to public displays of affection from her parents.  
  
"Andromeda, come say goodbye to me," her mother ordered a few minutes later. Adhara Black planted a cold kiss on her daughter's cheek. "Stay out of trouble this year."  
  
"I've always stayed out of trouble," Andromeda protested.  
  
"I know, I know, but I also know that it's all a façade. I feel as though the moment we turn our backs you start mocking us."  
  
"You deserve to me mocked," she thought rebelliously, but only put her head down.  
  
"We're all proud of you, you know. You passed your Apparition tests only two weeks after turning seventeen. That's something."  
  
Andromeda felt more and more guilty hearing this unexpected praise. Then, as always, her mother ruined it.  
  
"You're not completely worthless, I suppose. Now, go speak with your father."  
  
Arcturus Black gave her a much warmer hug. Not one to use niceties, he didn't say "have a good term" or "we'll miss you." Instead he gave her a calculating look.  
  
"You're a puzzlement, Andromeda Black. Just like my brother Alphard."  
  
She smiled—being compared to her favorite uncle was a good thing.  
  
"I never understood you," he went on, "And I don't think I ever will. But for better or worse, you're grown up now. And it only took you seventeen years to do it!"  
  
He cleared his throat and put his hands on her shoulders. "You may not keep up with politics, but I do. With what's going on in the world now...I wanted to say..." He trailed off.  
  
"Father, I'm not leaving forever. A lot can change in a year. How about we talk then? This isn't the last time we'll see each other!"  
  
Tilting his head to one side, he smiled crookedly. "Yes, I think it is." He kissed her gently on her forehead. "Goodbye, Andromeda. I wish you the best."  
  
She stayed rooted to her spot, oblivious to the world around her, until Sirius interrupted.  
  
"That was cryptic," he said dryly.  
  
Andromeda threw him a dirty look. She grabbed his hand and they boarded the train together, after giving Regulus one last hug.  
  
Her cousin tried to behave around her Slytherin friends in their compartment—for about five minutes. As soon as the train rumbled into action, he asked if he could go find the food cart. Against her better judgment, Andromeda agreed.  
  
~~~  
  
Ted lodged his trunk above his head in his own compartment, an empty one at the very back of the train. He would have preferred to be more social, but Kirley wanted someplace private so he and his girlfriend, Talia Saari, could cuddle up together. Ted sighed. Life was so simple back when they didn't have girlfriends. Over the summer, trapped in a Muggle apartment, he pined for Andromeda.  
  
The compartment door opened and Kirley and Talia came in, giggling and flustered. Ted sat and looked out the window, drumming his fingers on the windowsill as the two of them whispered sweet nothings to one another.  
  
"Where was Andromeda?" Ted wondered. It wasn't fair that Kirley got to see Talia nearly every day over the summer, while Ted didn't get so much as a letter from an owl from Andromeda. It was part of their no-contact policy. For awhile he daydreamed about her until he couldn't take it anymore. He had to get some fresh air. Kirley and Talia would rather be alone, he told himself. Ted needed to be around people who didn't have hearts in their eyes.  
  
"I'm going to get some food," he told them on his way out.  
  
"Smashing," Kirley said. He had taken to speaking very posh whenever Talia was around. "Bring us back some Chocolate Frogs, will you?"  
  
"They're my favorite," added Talia.  
  
Ted nodded. Walking down the corridor, he didn't recognize anyone. Being a seventh year wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Everywhere he looked he saw new faces, or heard last names he knew but first names he didn't recognize. He was trying to plod through a crowd of first years when he nearly smashed into a redheaded girl wearing a striped jumper.  
  
"Sorry," he said. Then, "Is anything wrong?"  
  
The girl had her wand out and looked furious. A blonde haired girl behind her was trying not to laugh.  
  
"Ugh," the redhead said, "I just had a run in with the most obnoxious boy imaginable. What's it to you, anyway?"  
  
"I'm Ted Tonks, a Prefect. And—" He took an educated guess. "I'm also Muggle born."  
  
She immediately brightened. "I come from a Muggle family, too! I'm Lily Evans. And, though *some* may think differently, I do know about Quidditch!"  
  
She glared at the girl behind her, who rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Lily! Just because someone's bragging that they got a Nimbus 1000 doesn't mean you have to remind them that they can't use it!"  
  
"Well that's the truth, isn't it, Dorcas? He's only a first year!"  
  
"Wait a minute," Ted cut in. "Are you saying a first year has a Nimbus 1000? He probably was pulling your legs. That's the broom professionals use, and it costs more galleons than I'll ever make."  
  
"I know that!" snapped Dorcas. "He had pictures of him riding it!"  
  
Lily was blushing red from embarrassment. "Maybe I don't know about brooms because I'm Muggleborn. And maybe I shouldn't have made that crack about his hair. He seemed sensitive about it."  
  
Ted tried to smile encouragingly at her. "It'll get better, I promise. Friends and enemies aren't made on this first train ride, or at least they weren't seven years ago. You may get to know him better, especially if he's in your house."  
  
Lily looked horrified. Dorcas laughed and said, "I hope he is. I would love to be on the Quidditch team with him!"  
  
Now that Ted had done his duty as a Prefect (where was Derrick, the Head Boy?), he was anxious to find Andromeda. He hadn't descended low enough to be chatting up first years for fun!  
  
"Er, I've got to go," he told them. "See you at the Sorting ceremony...and good luck!"  
  
They waved and Ted went on.  
  
As he got to the end of the corridor, he saw a group or first year boys all talking excitedly and looking at a picture. Oh no. The Nimbus 1000 boy. Ted tried to make his way through, difficult when he was at least two heads taller than everyone around him.  
  
He turned back when he heard a voice say, "I bet it's not even real!"  
  
The crowd quieted as everyone faced a handsome, black haired boy. His features were unmistakable. This had to be Sirius Black, the cousin Andromeda told him so much about.  
  
A boy with extremely messy hair and glasses came up to him. "I'm not a liar! I truly did get a Nimbus 1000 for my birthday. Even ask my parents!"  
  
"And who would they be?" Sirius replied.  
  
"Don't you know? I'm James Potter."  
  
Sirius's eyes widened in shock. "Well, I'm—"  
  
"Sirius!" Ted called, and pulled him out of the crowd. The Potter and Black families didn't along too well, to put it mildly. Ted didn't want to see any confrontation.  
  
"Who are you?" questioned Sirius as Ted dragged him to the sweets cart. "And how do you know my name?"  
  
Ted fumbled for a response. It never occurred to him that Andromeda wouldn't tell her cousin about him.  
  
"I'm a a—friend of your cousin Andromeda's. You look a lot like her."  
  
Sirius grinned. "Any friend of Andromeda's is all right by me! Why hasn't she told me about you?"  
  
"Sirius!" a very familiar voice called out suddenly. "What's taking so long?"  
  
And Ted and Andromeda came face to face. For a minute they just stared at each other, trying to regain composure.  
  
Sirius, oblivious to the tension, said, "I've just been talking to your friend. Don't tell me you were worried!"  
  
"So you've met Ted Tonks. And he's not only my friend; he's sort of...my boyfriend. And he's Muggleborn."  
  
Ted had no idea how Sirius, the Black heir, would react to this. It was a complete shock when he said, "Wow, you should have told me, Andromeda. This is so cool! So how did you meet?"  
  
"Long story." Andromeda grinned. "I'd tell you, but..."  
  
Ted finished, "I've got to go, Sirius. We'll talk later."  
  
Andromeda brushed his hand as he left, smiling. He felt better than he had in weeks. As he passed three first years plotting with their heads together, he knew one thing was for certain.  
  
This was going to be an interesting year.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reviewing! 


	13. The Sorting Ceremony

Chapter Thirteen: The Sorting Ceremony  
  
Disclaimer: This belongs to J.K. Rowling—not me!  
  
Andromeda and the others filed into the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony. It had been unnaturally warm out outside, but Andromeda felt a chill nonetheless. The sky above them was hazy with fog.  
  
She sat at their table with Derrick and waited impatiently as the first years filed in. Derrick was craning his neck to see, as if trying to memorize all the new faces.  
  
"Nice to see that you're taking your Head Boy duties seriously," she commented dryly.  
  
He shrugged sheepishly. "Actually, Priscilla and I have a bet going on. We're trying to predict who the new Slytherins will be."  
  
Across the table, Priscilla hadn't taken her eyes off the first years, muttering under her breath.  
  
Andromeda rolled her eyes as the Sorting began. Normally, she didn't pay attention to it, instead more focused on the upcoming feast, but this year was different.  
  
After the Sorting Hat sang yet another familiar song, McGonagall called out, "Black, Sirius!"  
  
Sirius came forward jauntily, not even blinking as he tugged the hat over his head. Andromeda waited in agony for what had to be over a minute—typical, only Sirius would argue with the Sorting Hat—when it called out, "Gryffindor!"  
  
The Great Hall erupted in noise. Even the teachers looked shocked. There had never been a Black in recent memory sorted into Gryffindor. Andromeda burst out laughing. This was *wonderful*! She clapped the loudest she could. For his part, Sirius went down to the Gryffindor table in a daze, only after McGonagall prodded him along. For once he had nothing to say!  
  
The rest of the family wasn't taking it well. Bella's knuckles had gone white from clutching the table, her furious eyes firmly fixed on Sirius. Sitting farther down the table, Cissa was ranting to her friend, who nodded sympathetically. But however confused the Slytherins were, the Gryffindors were confused even more.  
  
Andromeda did her best to finish watching, concentrating mostly on Sirius's new House. The next Potter heir got sorted into Gryffindor, naturally. She felt sorry for them both.  
  
She couldn't remember the names of the other two Gryffindor boys, but one received tumultuous applause from the teachers for no apparent reason. The other looked like he hardly belonged in Gryffindor, being so mousey- like.  
  
A redhead named Lily Evans and a blonde girl named Dorcas Meadowes smiled widely when they were put in Gryffindor. The loudest clapping came, oddly enough, from Ted. They both waved to him and Andromeda raised her eyebrows.  
  
"They must be Muggleborn," she thought. "That's how he knows them."  
  
Finally Derrick nudged her. "You might want to try and pay attention to those in your own House! Look, here's someone. I'll bet on him."  
  
Priscilla turned up her nose at the small, frightened looking boy with dirty black hair. "I hope not! Go ahead and bet, Avery."  
  
"Slytherin!" the Hat yelled. The boy skulked over to the table, receiving less-than-welcoming looks from the other first years.  
  
Priscilla groaned as Derrick made another nick on his parchment. "I'm going to be rich; I'm going to be rich..."  
  
"Oh shut up," she snapped back. Andromeda hid a grin.  
  
Dumbledore made his usual slightly insane words of welcome as they all ate. But she could tell not everything was quite right. The teachers were whispering throughout the whole meal, giving each other worried, nervous glances.  
  
The next day at breakfast, she found out why.  
  
~~~  
  
Ministry of Magic Employee Mysteriously Disappears  
  
September 1970.  
  
The Ministry of Magic recently reported that Clemens Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Catastrophes, has been missing for several days. He has not been seen at his house or any Ministry location, worrying family members. This past year Bones made enemies among high standing and prominent families, such as the Blacks and Malfoys, for his controversial plans to have Muggleborns take even greater roles in wizarding politics. Mr. Malfoy, an influential member of the pureblood community, believes "Mr. Bones does not belong as Head of that department and only seeks to destroy the world we work to protect." However, he adds, "If I receive any information as to his whereabouts, I will notify the Ministry immediately." Millicent Bagnold and other Ministry officials have refused to comment, only assuring the public that they are doing their best to "come to the bottom of this and rectify the situation."  
  
Andromeda threw the "Daily Prophet" down on the table in disgust, almost forgetting to toss a coin to the school owl who delivered it to her.  
  
"If the Malfoys don't have any information about where Bones is off to," she thought, "Then I'm Muggleborn!"  
  
Was this what her father meant about "what was going on in the world"? Now it made sense that he knew before anyone else—he was probably in on it!  
  
Andromeda twisted around to signal Ted at the Hufflepuff table. He was joking with his friends, totally unaware that the "Daily Prophet" just reported something odd, something possibly sinister.  
  
"Tonight," she mouthed to him. "Let's meet."  
  
He nodded, bemused.  
  
~~~  
  
In the Room of Requirement, Ted ran over to Andromeda, tripping over his own robes in his hurry. Not exactly the grand meeting he'd planned on having! She laughed and mock-fell on the ground beside him. They hugged each other tight and kissed.  
  
"We must be the only two people in this school who are glad that summer's over," Ted said when they broke apart.  
  
"I wish it had never begun!"  
  
"Last year was nice, wasn't it? Now you have your cousin to worry about..."  
  
"What, you don't think Sirius can take care of himself?" Andromeda teased. "Gryffindor, I ask you...he's going to be getting some cursed letters soon, if he hasn't already."  
  
"He'll handle them. You must be very proud. He's a great kid."  
  
"Wait until you're on the receiving end of one of his pranks, and *then* tell me what you think of him!"  
  
They fooled around some more, but then Andromeda pulled out a paper and gave it to him.  
  
Before Ted could ask, she said, "It's an article I saw this morning that I think you should read. I want to hear your take on it."  
  
Ted saw the title and became apprehensive right away. The more he read, the tighter his stomach become. He set it down gently a minute later.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy's lying," he said tensely. He still hadn't forgotten what Lucius Malfoy did to him and Kirley in his first (and last) game of Quidditch.  
  
"That's what I thought! Is the Ministry completely naïve, or...?"  
  
"Or are they deliberately covering up? I wondered why the teachers were so tense yesterday."  
  
Andromeda looked him straight in the eye. "We have to tell ourselves that it's nothing to worry about. Bones is just absent-minded and went on holiday in Assyria without telling anybody."  
  
Ted wrapped his arm around her. "I'm sure that's it. He'll turn up next week completely addled and wondering what all the commotion was about."  
  
Even as he said that, he knew it wasn't true. It didn't reassure him any more than it reassured Andromeda.  
  
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter! 


	14. The Fight

Chapter Fourteen: The Fight  
  
Disclaimer: This belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
Classes started up again, same as always, only now they were made ten times harder by the ridiculous standards for NEWT-level classes. To no one's surprise, Ted and Andromeda were put into NEWT Potions. Ted loved it—Andromeda hated it.  
  
To Ted, the only good thing about working so hard was that he didn't have to spend time with Kirley and Talia. Ted wished he had never told his friend about the Room of Requirement. He and his girlfriend were spending a suspicious amount of time there.  
  
Talia even sucked the life out of Hogsmeade weekends. She and Kirley would frolic arm in arm down the streets while Ted and Alice tagged along behind like annoying chaperones.  
  
Alice Macmillan was Talia's best friend, a plump, round-faced, fifth year Hufflepuff girl with curly blonde hair. She actually wasn't too bad to hang around with, and Ted appreciated that she could always find something to laugh and be cheerful about.  
  
But by Halloween, the situation was at its breaking point. Andromeda already cancelled their rendezvous at the Shrieking Shack, a creepy old house that the townspeople said ghosts haunted.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't miss my parents' Masquerade Ball," she told him as they lounged on a couch in their favorite room. "It's tradition for me to be there, they say. In other words, they're forcing me."  
  
"So...when do I get my invitation?" Ted said lightly.  
  
Andromeda didn't laugh. "You know there's no way you could go. Haven't we gone over this before?"  
  
"But we'll all be masked, so I won't be recognized—"  
  
"No, Ted. It's still too dangerous—"  
  
"What, will they be carrying around Muggle-born—sorry, I mean 'Mudblood' detectors?"  
  
"Don't say that word!" she hissed. "What's gotten into you?"  
  
Ted felt bad immediately. "I'm sorry, Meda. I don't know why I'm making such a big deal over this. I'll just spend the day with Kirley."  
  
Andromeda sighed and concern replaced anger on her face. "For some reason you don't sound too thrilled about that." Shrewdly, she guessed, "Does it have to do with Talia?"  
  
Ted told her how he felt. When he finished, Andromeda told him, "You should talk with Kirley about this, not just me. Get over any fears you have with that."  
  
"I'll do that," thought Ted. "I'll tell him exactly how I feel."  
  
Later that night, Ted met up with them by Madam Puddifoot's, a place Talia insisted on going to.  
  
"Wotcher, Ted," Kirley said. Ted grunted in reply.  
  
"Shall we go in?" Talia gestured.  
  
Inside it was decorated with smaltzy jack-o-lanterns and glowing bats. They squeezed into a booth, Ted and Alice on one side and Kirley and Talia on the other.  
  
"Well, this is festive," Alice said, in a vain attempt the clear the awkward silence. "Happy Halloween, everyone."  
  
They lifted up their butterbeers. Ted wanted to tell Kirley about Andromeda, but of course he had to do it in private. But Kirley didn't seem to care why Ted was with them at all. He knew enough not to blurt out something stupid like, "Why aren't you with Andromeda?" but Ted thought he would show some interest at least. Perhaps he could try talking in code.  
  
"Oh, look, there's a black cat," Ted blurted. "She has to wear a mask tonight."  
  
Blank stares. Talia asked, "Did you say something about a cat wearing a mask?"  
  
"What?" Ted asked, temper rising. "Can't I even make a comment anymore?"  
  
"C'mon mate," Kirley said uneasily. "It was an odd thing to say."  
  
"It shouldn't be, Kirley. Not if you'd been paying attention to my life. Not if you cared at all about what's going on in my life. But you don't, do you? You're too busy with your stupid girlfriend!"  
  
By now the shop was silent, and everyone had twisted around to stare at them.  
  
"I don't get why you want to hang around with Talia all of a sudden. What's so great about her? And do you know what? Did it ever occur to you that I'm only here tonight because I can't be with the person I really want? And do you know why that is? Do you?"  
  
He panted, tying to control himself. Kirley and Alice were horrorstruck. Talia bit her lip like she was going to cry, and ran out. Kirley turned from her to Ted, and then ran out after her.  
  
Ted and Alice sat in silence as everyone else went back to chatting—no doubt gossiping about them.  
  
Madam Puddifoot came by. "Do you two...need anything?"  
  
"We're fine," answered Alice. When Madam Puddifoot scrambled away, she turned to Ted.  
  
"If you can talk sensibly about this, then I want to know what's going on. If not, then we might as well both leave."  
  
"Yeah, let's leave," he said. "We can talk on the way."  
  
Outside, Ted told Alice, "Look, I wasn't yelling at you. It's not your fault. It doesn't concern you at all really."  
  
"Oh, really? Somehow your being best friends with Kirley is different from my being best friends with Talia?"  
  
"Oh," he said. "So what do you think about this whole thing? Don't they make you sick?"  
  
"Why should they? I like them both, and up until five minutes ago I liked you too. Why shouldn't I want my friends to be happy?"  
  
"I hope you'll rethink being friends with me. I...wasn't at my best in there."  
  
She smiled slightly. "I figured." She added quietly: "They do like each other. A lot."  
  
"I know. That's the whole problem." Ted finally forced himself to say, "I was...jealous, plain and simple."  
  
"I'm probably being utterly rude right now, but...there isn't anyone for you?"  
  
"No, there is. That's the whole problem." Then, to get off the subject of Andromeda, he added, "What about you?"  
  
She blushed, and her round face turned pink. "Same with me. Well, if he ever notices me as more than a friend. I doubt that will ever happen."  
  
"Not to pry, but who?"  
  
She blushed red. "Frank Longbottom. He's a fifth year too, only in Gryffindor. I bumped into him in the hall a few weeks ago—literally—and now we've met a couple of times."  
  
Ted vaguely knew Frank as a popular, talented student that the teachers were touting to be an Auror.  
  
"I'm sure things will be right between the two of you," Ted reassured her. "And here's a hint: Ask him to be in a study group with you. Trust me. It works."  
  
"All right, I'll try it." Alice looked straight at him. "Now you trust me on this: You have to talk with Talia and Kirley. Promise?"  
  
He promised, and they went their separate ways.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reviewing the last chapter! And sorry for the delay, I was busy with exams. It's a busy time of the year! 


	15. At the Ball

Chapter Fifteen: At the Ball Disclaimer: Most everything in this belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
Andromeda stood morosely by the dessert table as she watched the dancing couples spin across the floor. It was bad enough that she had to be at this Masquerade Ball in the first place. But without Ted...  
  
At least Derrick seemed to be having a good time. He was dancing with none other than Priscilla Normad. Andromeda smiled in spite of herself. Derrick dutifully asked her to dance with him first, but five minutes later he went off to find Priscilla. An hour later, they were still dancing.  
  
Sirius was the only person more miserable than her. He came over to complain, "I hate everyone here. It's only stupid pure-blood families like the Malfoys and Lestranges."  
  
"The other pure-blood families weren't invited," explained Andromeda. "The Bones, Potters, Longbottoms, Macmillans, and everyone else like them. But I'm surprised that the Prewetts and McKinnons were invited. Or that they came, for that matter."  
  
"They're mostly Ravenclaw families—'appropriate', in other words. The Potters would never come to a ball held by the Blacks. And I really wanted to see James."  
  
Andromeda was surprised. "Are you two friends, then?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" Sirius laughed. "I wanted him to be here so I could play a new prank on him."  
  
"You'll never fit in with your roommates if you don't learn to behave, Sirius."  
  
He raised his eyebrows doubtfully at her. "You've obviously never had a run-in with my roommates. They seem nice on the surface—especially Remus and Peter—but they're all troublemakers deep down. Like me."  
  
"Poor McGonagall," muttered Andromeda. "To have four boys like Sirius in her House!" Louder she asked him, "If you and James like pranks so much, why don't you play them on other people, not on yourselves?"  
  
Sirius said thoughtfully, "Why not? It could work. I dunno if James'll go for it, but I'll Owl him right away!"  
  
"What have I unleashed?" she thought, shaking her head as he ran off. She adjusted her mask. Her parents would no doubt want her to socialize with the guests. But if the guests didn't know who she was...  
  
Her plans to escape were interrupted by a masked girl with thick, wavy brown hair coming over to her.  
  
"Hello," she said. "My parents insist I talk to someone here, and you look about my age. I'm trying to hide from the Black sisters. No doubt my parents would make me talk to them, and they're horrible! I'm Marlene McKinnon, by the way. What's your name?"  
  
"Er, actually..." Andromeda faltered. Then she remembered the mask. She could be anyone she wanted here tonight— and the last person she wanted to be was Andromeda. "I'm Anna, here as a guest with the...Averys. I'm a seventh year at Hogwarts."  
  
"I graduated Hogwarts last year. Ravenclaw, as you'd probably guess."  
  
"I'm in Hufflepuff." Now the lies were getting bigger and bigger. "I really don't want to be here at all."  
  
"Neither do I," said Marlene. "My parents think that if they talk to the old Slytherin pure-blood families here, they can change their minds about Muggles and Muggle-borns. I work at the Ministry, and believe me; pure-bloods need to change how we treat the rest of the world." She paused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on like that."  
  
"You didn't ramble," Andromeda said. "I bet you can change a lot of people's minds. I'm pure-blood and certainly not prejudiced."  
  
"But, well...you're in Hufflepuff. I bet the Black sisters don't feel the same way."  
  
"Oh, really?" she asked lightly. "So, how much would you be willing to bet?"  
  
Marlene peered closer at her. "You don't know one of them, do you?"  
  
But Andromeda never got the chance to answer. Sneaking around the hall opposite the ball room, donned in green robes and a green mask, was the all- too-recognizable stocky figure of Ted Tonks.  
  
After Ted owled Kirley and Talia letting them know that he was sorry and that he wanted to talk to them at the Three Broomsticks the next day, he threw all caution to the wind and apparated to Black Manor. With his mask, he snuck in with a flood of guests.  
  
But how could he find Andromeda in this zoo? All he wanted to do was let her know that she was right; he didn't go about the Kirley situation in the right way. He was about to venture onto the dancing floor when—  
  
"Ted! You idiot!" A girl in a mauve mask and robe tackled him and pulled him into a deserted back room filled with guests' brooms and bags. "I told you not to come here!"  
  
"Wha—Meda? You sure found me fast! Do I stick out? Great party, by the way."  
  
"Your hair sticks out! What are you doing here? And don't say 'to see me'. It's not a good enough excuse."  
  
"We're like...Romeo and Juliet! Star-crossed lovers, meeting by chance at a masked ball..." To her blank stare he added, "It's a Muggle play."  
  
Ted glanced at her hands on her hips and knew she meant business. He had to tell the truth. "I got into a fight with Kirley and Talia."  
  
Her mouth dropped open. "And what happened? Are you hurt?"  
  
Ted almost felt better, knowing that she cared about him. "No. Not physically, anyway. Talia stalked off crying and Kirley ran after her."  
  
"So much for talking it out, eh?"  
  
"Actually, the heartfelt talk will have to wait until tomorrow when we've all calmed down."  
  
Andromeda reached out and hugged him tight. "I'm still mad at you, though! This could have waited until tomorrow."  
  
"I know," he sighed. "But I felt so bad, and so scared...I wanted to see you."  
  
"You're supposed to be scared, silly," she told him gently. "It's Halloween."  
  
"Er...boo?" a voice said from the doorway. Ted and Andromeda both jumped.  
  
It was a girl with wavy brown hair. Andromeda seemed to know her, because she gasped, "Marlene?"  
  
"Sorry to interrupt, Anna," Marlene said. "But when you took off like that—" she shrugged.  
  
"Why's this girl calling you Anna?" Ted asked. "Her name's—"  
  
Andromeda kicked him, but it was too late.  
  
"Andromeda," he finished.  
  
"What?" Marlene snapped. "As in Andromeda Black?"  
  
Andromeda pulled off her mask. "Er...trick or treat?"  
  
To his surprise, Marlene laughed aloud. "I can't believe it! What a prat I was! The whole time I was bashing the Blacks to one of their own! You can't blame me for not knowing, though. You could have said something."  
  
"It's fine," said Ted. "I bash her family all the time and I'm her boyfriend."  
  
She smiled at him. "I'm Marlene McKinnon, pleased to meet you."  
  
"I'm Ted Tonks," he said, shaking her hand.  
  
Andromeda rounded on him. "You don't go announcing that to complete strangers!"  
  
"Aren't you a—? Wow," murmured Marlene. "I really misjudged you both."  
  
"I'm used to it," said Andromeda bitterly.  
  
Marlene took off her mask, revealing serious, bright blue eyes. "Then I'm sorry. Can't we all be friends?"  
  
After a tense moment, Andromeda answered, "Sure. Sorry for pretending to be someone else back there."  
  
"Andromeda!" someone screeched. "If you're hiding back here all alone—"  
  
"Oh no, that's my mother. Hide, Ted!"  
  
"Hide where, exactly?"  
  
Mrs. Black appeared at the door. She was a tall, stately woman who gave the air of conceited superiority and confidant assurance. Her severe expression changed when she saw that her daughter not alone.  
  
"And who are your friends?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Marlene saved them. She introduced herself, clearly expressing her pure lineage and Ravenclaw background. And then she introduced Edward, her "third cousin."  
  
"He lives in France," explained Marlene, "And doesn't know a word of English, otherwise he'd be at the center of attention just like he is at Beauxbatons. It's so kind of Andromeda to make us feel welcome back here."  
  
"Oui," added Ted, one of the only bits of French he knew.  
  
Mrs. Black held out her hand for him to shake. "Welcome to our ball. We hope to see much more of you now that you're in England."  
  
Ted bit back a smile. How ironic that Mrs. Black seemed to be setting him up with her daughter! No need for that!  
  
"Eh, merci?"  
  
Mrs. Black gave them a nod and turned to leave. In the doorway she turned around and said, "Please do not feel self-conscious about joining the ball. We may be snakes, but we don't bite."  
  
The three of them breathed a sigh of relief when she left. They thanked Marlene, who shrugged it off, saying, "You deserved it, considering what I said earlier."  
  
Andromeda put her mask back on. "You're going to have a busy day tomorrow, Ted. We should have fun now. Shall we dance?"  
  
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! And thanks to Clarey the Angelic Squishy for the Romeo/Juliet line. As for Frank and Alice, I have some ideas for a fic about them too (in the future). ( 


	16. Makeups and Mishaps

Chapter Sixteen: Makeups and Mishaps Disclaimer: This all belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
"Three butterbeers, Madam Rosmerta," said Ted. "I'll pay."  
  
Kirley and Talia, seated across the table from him at the Three Broomsticks, didn't complain. Ted faced them, clearing his throat nervously.  
  
"I'm sorry I don't have anything to say to explain what I did or said...except to say, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."  
  
He waited, full of doubt, while they thought about it. Why was he trying to make up with them at all? He'd done so much damage it was impossible by now.  
  
Finally Kirley said, "Of course I forgive you, mate."  
  
Talia, however, crossed her arms. "I'm not sure whether or not you deserve to be my practice target for the Bat-Bogey Hex. In fairness, these last few months must have been punishment enough for you."  
  
"Thanks," Ted said in relief.  
  
"Don't thank me," she said with a wry smile. "Alice was the one who convinced me. She said you really weren't a jerk...on the inside."  
  
"Was I just complimented or insulted?" asked Ted.  
  
"Complimented," answered Kirley. "You know Talia likes you when she insults you."  
  
"Is that how you two started going out?" Ted joked.  
  
To his great surprise, Talia burst out laughing and Kirley threatened to hex him under his breath. Ted relaxed—they didn't seem mad anymore.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me Ted was so funny?" Talia asked her boyfriend.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that Talia wasn't a temptress who put you under a spell?" Ted added.  
  
"She does have me under a spell!" Kirley took Talia's hand. Normally behavior like that would have annoyed Ted, but he was so glad they forgave him that he didn't care.  
  
Talia pulled her hand out of Kirley's. "Then it's time we all woke up. Kirley, Ted needs you to be his friend right now. And I had a blast staying up all night yesterday talking to Alice. And, in some strange way, I want to see more of Ted as well."  
"Let me see what you're saying," said Kirley. "You want to see less of me so you can spend more time alone with my best friend?"  
  
"Precisely." She kissed him on the forehead. "You're not worried Ted will sweep me off my feet, are you?"  
  
"Nah, he's got—somebody else."  
  
"I'm glad," she said. "Ted needs a girlfriend."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ted protested, but the pair of them only smiled.  
  
Andromeda finished writing her letter to Marlene and headed off to the Owlery. It was unbelievable to think that only three years ago, she only had one friend—Derrick. Now, she had Ted and Kirley and Marlene (who she was going to be penpals with) and maybe some more, when Ted introduced her to Alice Macmillan like he said he would.  
  
She gave her letter to a school owl and watched him fly off. It was such a peaceful day, after the exciting and traumatic ball last week. She meandered back to the common room, wondering which piece of homework to start first, when she met the person she most often tried to avoid.  
  
"Good morning, Andromeda," said Bellatrix.  
  
Andromeda was suspicious of this seemingly polite gesture. She said with some hesitation, "Good morning, Bella."  
  
She tried to keep walking, but her sister cut in front of her.  
  
"I would advise you not to go that way."  
  
"Why not?" snapped back Andromeda. She didn't have time to play these games.  
  
"Because you'll pass by the Great Hall, of course. And there you'll find your precious cousin with his Gryffindor friends—doing some redecorating."  
  
"Sirius? What do you mean, doing some redecorating?"  
  
"Find out for yourself." She shrugged, as if it didn't matter one way or the other. "And remember, he's your cousin."  
  
Andromeda shivered; this couldn't be good. She took off down the hall and flung the doors of the Great Hall open wide, panting for breath. Inside she found Narcissa, looking quite disgusted, watching Sirius and three other boys busy trying to enchant a tapestry.  
"What are you doing?" she snapped.  
  
The boys turned round abruptly, hiding the tapestry behind their backs and trying to make their guilty faces look as innocent as possible.  
  
"Cissa, what's going on here?" she asked her younger sister.  
  
Cissa rolled her eyes. "Bella sent me here to keep an eye on them. They were clearly up to something. And now look what they've done!"  
  
Andromeda went behind them to take a closer look at the tapestries. One read, "Go Gryffindor!" in red and gold. The other, in silver and green: "Slytherin Stinks."  
  
"Sirius, how juvenile," she sighed.  
  
The boys immediately leapt to his defense.  
  
"It was my idea!"  
  
"It's not juvenile!"  
  
"It's only our first try!"  
  
"Quiet, all of you," she ordered. "Who are you anyway?"  
  
The boy with messy hair and glasses stepped forward. "I'm James Potter. And I don't see how you can come in here and tell Sirius what to do, unless you're a Prefect."  
  
"I am, as a matter of fact. But more importantly, I'm Andromeda Black. His cousin. In Slytherin."  
  
Even the Potter kid looked impressed at that. Sirius tried a halfway grin and said, "Meda, meet my roommates. Y'know, the ones I told you about."  
  
"The troublemakers?"  
  
They all brightened at being called that. The boy with light brown hair smiled shyly and said, "I'm Remus Lupin, it's nice to meet you."  
  
Andromeda liked him immediately, him and the other shyer boy called Peter Pettigrew.  
  
"I'm glad to meet you, too...even under these circumstances." She threw Sirius a dirty look.  
  
"Hey," he protested, "I'm only doing what you told me too!"  
  
"That's no surprise," said Narcissa scathingly. "What a wonderful role model you are, Andromeda."  
  
"Aw, shut it," said Sirius and James together, causing all four boys to crack up.  
  
"Look, that's not what I meant. I meant that instead of messing around, you should be working together—"  
  
"We are working together! We're using our...talents...to..."  
  
"Liven this place up!" finished James.  
  
"What do you think about this, Remus?" she asked.  
  
He looked shocked that she'd asked for his opinion, but said, "We're just having fun. Nothing wrong with that, is there?"  
  
Peter nodded enthusiastically, and James yelled, "Well said!"  
  
"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to use your talents with other pursuits," she told the group.  
  
Sirius looked crestfallen, until she whispered conspiratorially, "Make sure certain Slytherin prefects aren't around while you do it, though."  
  
They laughed and agreed to put the tapestries back to normal. Narcissa even helped.  
  
"You handled it well, I suppose," she said. "I was about to hex them."  
  
"Really," thought Andromeda. "They weren't that bad."  
  
But as they left the Great Hall, laughing about some Slytherin first year, she almost changed her mind. Maybe they were. Whatever they were, they were good for Sirius. Better he hate Slytherin completely than be tied to it. It was less complicated that way. She knew that better than anyone.  
  
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews last week (Merci beaucoup!) 


	17. Flying Away Forever

Chapter Seventeen: Flying Away Forever  
  
Disclaimer: Most everything in this fic belongs to J.K. Rowling!  
  
The winter was bitterly cold that year.  
  
Andromeda was worried about Derrick. He was so quiet all of a sudden, almost...haunted. She had caught him whispering something to Priscilla in the hall and overheard the word "Voldemort." What on earth could that mean? Was it someone's name?  
  
When she confronted him about it, he snapped, "Lay off me, will you? You haven't got a clue."  
  
She had yelled back at him, "I would if you would tell me!"  
  
But it was no use. The darkness and cold made everyone depressed and restless. Even her meetings with Ted lost their warmth. They could only study while huddling round the fire. She would wrap her arms around him tightly, worrying. In his eyes she saw the same worry. Paper after paper came, with more strange things. Ministry officials stating outright that they wouldn't work with mudbloods and then firing them. And Bones still hadn't been found.  
  
One night, after hours of tossing and turning in bed, Andromeda gave up the idea of sleeping and lay there thinking instead.  
  
On the other side of the room she heard the floor tiles creak and the shuffling of clothes. Silently she turned over to see Priscilla Normad making her bed and stuffing clothes into a bag—at two in the morning! Finally, she wrapped herself in a cloak, looked all around the room, and snuck out.  
  
Andromeda needed only a few seconds to think. She got up, put on her own clothes and cloak, and crept down the stairs to follow her.  
  
"I must truly be insane," she thought. "But what if it has to do with Derrick?"  
  
She followed Priscilla from afar out of the common room and up out of the dungeons.  
  
"Lumos," she whispered to light her wand, just before stubbing her toe on a statue. Priscilla didn't seem to hear her grunt of pain, and they crept through the creepy halls.  
  
As they reached the entranceway, Priscilla pulled open the great doors to go outside. Andromeda swore under her breath; Priscilla was the insane one!  
  
Bracing herself for the chill, she heaved open the door. Priscilla still hadn't caught on that there was someone following her. She was running now, tearing off into the direction of the Forbidden Forest.  
  
Andromeda followed Priscilla's footprints in the snow, and began running to stay warm. Pushing back tree branches and dodging tree stumps, she found a convenient hiding spot behind an old tree as they came to a clearing in the forest. Priscilla held out her hand, illuminated by a glowing ball of iridescent fire.  
  
She whispered something, and out of the shadows skulked—Derrick!  
  
Andromeda gasped as the two of them hugged. Unable to control herself, she stomped towards them.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.  
  
"Andromeda!" Derrick exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I followed her." Andromeda pointed to Priscilla. "As it turns out, I had good reason to."  
  
Priscilla drew the hood of her cloak tighter around her face and sputtered, "But—but—I was careful! I thought everyone was asleep!"  
  
"I can't sleep these days," Andromeda told her.  
  
They fell silent. Finally, Derrick said, "I should have told you. I was stupid to try to leave like this, without saying goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye? Derrick, what are you on about? Where are you going?"  
  
"We don't know," he said, voice cracking. "Well, first Persia—then, who knows? America, Canada, Australia?"  
  
It was like some nightmarish fantasy Andromeda would never have believed possible. She couldn't be standing here, listening to this. She was having a dream. She had to be.  
  
"It's true," Priscilla said. "Avery can tell you the whole story."  
  
He reached out and took her limp, icy hand. "I've—that is, we've—been recruited. Priscilla and I."  
  
A chill ran down her spine. She said a bit hysterically, "Recruited? Who recruited you? For what?"  
  
Priscilla looked at her incredulously. "You don't know who. You must know who."  
  
"No, I really don't know who! Tell me!"  
  
Derrick looked down, unable to speak.  
  
Priscilla answered, as if it was the plainest thing in the world, "Voldemort, of course."  
  
Andromeda expected instant inspiration when she heard the answer. She expected to say, "Ah, I see it now!" But she was only more confused than before.  
  
Better to sound ignorant than be left uniformed. "Who's he?"  
  
"A wizard who's growing popular in Slytherin pureblood circles," whispered Derrick. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of him, you being a Black and all."  
  
Priscilla continued, "He's trying to get allies. We're of age, and so close to being out of school..."  
  
Derrick swallowed hard. "People—his friends—have already been sending both of us letters. Trying to get us to come to their meetings, rallies...we're scared."  
  
Perhaps it was because it was two in the morning and she was slowly freezing, but Andromeda couldn't understand how no one knew about this. Especially how she didn't know about this.  
  
"They haven't recruited me," she said. "I knew nothing about this."  
  
Priscilla rolled her eyes, her old meanness replacing her fear for a moment. "Honestly, Andromeda, why would anyone want to recruit you? Everyone in Slytherin knows you're practically a blood traitor."  
  
Derrick jabbed her in the side. "Shut it, Normad."  
  
Slowly the truth was dawning on her, and she was feeling worse and worse. "So why aren't you two joining him?"  
  
Derrick's face fell. "I thought you knew me better, Andromeda. I'll proudly stand up for the pureblood cause, but not with this maniac. You know I've always had good foresight. I believe that if we don't join him, there'll be consequences. But we can't do the alternative either..."  
  
"So we're running away," Priscilla finished. "We're getting out of Europe while we still can."  
  
"Come with us," Derrick said suddenly. "It's only a matter of time before they come for your family. Voldemort won't kill your family if they oppose him, not yet. He needs the support of families like the Blacks to get power. But what about next year, or the year after that?"  
  
"I—" Her voice came out in a whisper. "I can't leave. You know why."  
  
"You're a Slytherin," said Priscilla. "Of course you can leave, if it's to save your own skin."  
  
Derrick looked away, perfectly aware of what she was saying.  
  
Andromeda told him, partly to convince herself, "I think you'd both be happier by yourselves, anyway. Aren't you two—er, together?"  
  
Priscilla looked horrified. "Together with Avery as in romantically? Are you mad?"  
  
"We just think alike, that's all," said Derrick. "And Normad has the way out."  
  
She smirked. "It's lucky when you have a Persian friend whose father is Ali Bashir, the main exporter of magic carpets. One's picking us up. You can't Apparate out of Hogwarts, you know."  
  
Derrick rubbed his hands together. "I hope it gets here soon, or we'll have to melt in Persia."  
  
Andromeda could feel her eyes watering. "Stupid cold, making me cry. That's the only reason I'm crying, you know!"  
  
Derrick pulled her into a hug. "I know, I know."  
  
She held him for a minute, realizing for the first time how old they all seemed. Old at seventeen.  
  
"I promise I'll write," she told him, wiping her eyes.  
  
But Priscilla wouldn't have it. "That's not a good idea. Letters can be traced."  
  
Andromeda was shocked to see that Derrick was nodding along with her.  
  
"Oh," she said quietly, covering her heartbreak, "Tracing. I suppose war is coming after all."  
  
"It's coming?" Priscilla repeated. "It's here already."  
  
They fell silent and instead watched the starry sky. A few minutes later, a shadow flitted from up above them. Smoothly, an intricately designed magic carpet landed in front of them.  
  
"Let's go," said Priscilla. She shook Andromeda's hand primly. "So long."  
  
Derrick came closer for a private goodbye. "I'll miss you so much. I'll miss Ted, too. Say goodbye to him for me. In a few years, when things aren't so crazy, then you and Ted can come visit us. We'll see each other again, don't worry."  
  
"I'll miss you too, Derrick." Choked up, she could only nod and kiss him on the cheek. "Go on." He got on the carpet and it took off into the night.  
  
She didn't know how she got back to the common room, except the next morning she awoke in her bed to the screaming of her roommates. As Fenwick and the other teachers ran around trying to find the missing students, Andromeda was given a note that was left on Derrick's bed. It read:  
  
A. I'm safe. I'm sorry I can't tell you where I went. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye, but it would have been too difficult. Love, your friend, D.  
  
She put the note in her pocket and went to breakfast. What else could she do? She had to stop crying sometime. But, unexplainably, her feet carried her the opposite way—to another part of the dungeons, the Hufflepuff part.  
  
There was Ted, standing by Violet's portrait with the same worried look he'd had since December. He ran over the minute he saw her. She didn't care who saw them. Not anymore.  
  
"I heard about what happened," he said.  
  
"News travels fast, doesn't it?"  
  
"Of course, this is Hogwarts." He let her lean against him. "I'm sorry."  
  
They found an empty classroom and she showed him the note, explaining everything that had happened the night before.  
  
"At least he's safe," Ted said. "He's safe and he's not...one of them. He did the right thing."  
  
"I'm only wondering when it will be our turn to have to escape. And if we'll be able to."  
  
"You could have made your escape last night, and yet you didn't. Why?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
He kissed her, and she almost forgot all her problems. Until McGonagall showed up.  
  
"Miss. Black! Mr. Tonks!"  
  
They pulled their lips apart mid-kiss. The Gryffindor Head was blushing furiously.  
  
"That kind of behavior is entirely inappropriate! What if someone had been walking by? Besides me, of course."  
  
"Sorry," they both muttered.  
  
"Well," she said, "Never mind about that. I'm glad I found you. The Headmaster wants to see you, Miss. Black. And you can come too, Mr. Tonks."  
  
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! This story's almost finished... 


	18. Rush of Fear

Chapter Eighteen: Rush of Fear  
  
Disclaimer: Most everything in this belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
Andromeda and Ted followed McGonagall up to Dumbledore's office in silence. Ted didn't know what to say. He hadn't been involved in this; he didn't want to be. Next to him Andromeda was grim-faced. He took her hand consolingly.  
  
Dumbledore was pacing. He looked up and greeted them with a wan smile. "I wish I could say 'good morning'. But we've had a few problems, haven't we?"  
  
"I know all about Derrick and Priscilla," Andromeda said at once. "I was with them when they left."  
  
"Why? Why did they leave?"  
  
With an encouraging smile from Ted, Andromeda told him the whole story. He and McGonagall listened attentively, never interrupting her.  
  
"Well, if that is the case than there is little we can do," said Dumbledore. "Perhaps they are better off where they are. Thank you for your honesty."  
  
It was a subtle dismissal. But Ted couldn't help it. As they turned to leave, he blurted, "Is it true? Is there going to be a war coming?"  
  
"I'm afraid there is," Dumbledore said gravely. "We will be doing all we can, of course."  
  
"All we can with the Ministry's permission," McGonagall said disdainfully. "But it needn't worry you two; you have to get on with your NEWTs."  
  
"Yeah," Ted muttered sarcastically. "NEWTs. That's what's important, isn't it?"  
  
"Come on, Ted." Andromeda tugged on his arm. "Let's go."  
  
Ted walked down the corridor, thinking back on that day months ago. Since then, he hadn't said a word to Dumbledore. He and Andromeda simply got on with their lives.  
  
Without Derrick, Andromeda didn't have a single friend in Slytherin. She spent time with Alice and Talia instead. At night, she'd compose letters to Derrick in her head.  
  
By day, she and Ted would study. They were ready when they took their NEWTs. Ted wasn't ready to leave school. He still had no idea what he wanted to do. Neither did Andromeda. They were scared to even talk about the future.  
  
"So," Andromeda said one night, bringing up the subject, "Er...you're going to work at the Ministry, right?"  
  
"Dunno. I don't really want to."  
  
"But...what else is there? I mean, for someone like you..."  
  
"I don't know! Can we please talk about this later?" And Ted took her by the waist and pull her in for a kiss.  
  
That was another thing they never talked about: marriage. Inside he was terrified about it. He didn't know much about wizarding engagement customs, but in the Muggle world he would have to get her a ring. But should he? After all, they were only eighteen—very young. They had plenty of time to think about those things. And they'd never even talked about it...  
  
He knew that she loved him. He loved her. But...what did they do now?  
  
"Enough," he told himself on his way to the Room of Requirement. "I'll ask her tonight. Not in the bend-on-the-knee sort of way. I'll just...bring up the subject."  
  
He flung open the door and called out, "Andromeda, I've—"  
  
His voice died out. Standing there, in the middle of the room, was a girl with hair not black like Andromeda's, but blonde. She turned around.  
  
"Narcissa?" he blurted.  
  
"Well, well, well," she said, sneering. "If it isn't Edward Tonks. So good to meet you... at last."  
  
"How—how did you find out about this?"  
  
"I followed my sister last week. And read some quite incriminating diary entries. She seems to fancy you."  
  
"Narcissa," Ted growled, "Did Bellatrix put you up to this? Where is she? She's got to be here!"  
  
"Bella's too interested in other things to care about Andromeda's slumming. You're lucky she doesn't know about this."  
  
"And you had better not tell her! I mean it! You forget that I'm a seventh year and of age, while you're only thirteen—"  
  
"And a Black," she interrupted, "Which makes all the difference in the world. You're only some pet project my sister's taken up."  
  
"What is it with you people?" he shouted, losing his temper. "You're all raving—raving mad, the lot of you!"  
  
"Then why don't you leave us alone?" Narcissa shouted back. "Leave Andromeda alone! It's what's best for her!"  
  
"Am I to believe that you really care about what's best for her? You've got to be joking."  
  
Narcissa looked down and whispered, "You should. After all, I found out about you two months ago and didn't say a word."  
  
"What? How? And why?"  
  
"At the masked Ball, of course. You were dancing." She cleared her throat. "But I've come to tell you—you've got to end it now."  
  
For a fleeting moment her façade dropped and she became what Ted knew she was inside—a very confused thirteen year old.  
  
He forced himself to speak calmly. "Narcissa, I appreciate your concern and your, uh, tact. But if I want to mar—see Andromeda, that's her business and mine—not yours!"  
  
Her eyes flashed in anger. "Do you really think she'd marry you? Do you really think you'd be greeted at Black Manor by all the family? You're even stupider than I thought."  
  
Ted was at a loss for words. But before he lost control, the door behind them swung open and Andromeda herself swept in.  
  
"Hello, Ted. I was just—Cissa, what the—? Oh, damn," she said, seeing their infuriated faces.  
  
"Your sister's lovely," remarked Ted.  
  
She responded with a smirk.  
  
Andromeda rushed over to Narcissa. "You won't tell, will you? Because if you do I swear I'll jinx you at every opportunity I get. I've been practicing, remember."  
  
Narcissa looked rather mollified by this. She looked back and forth from Andromeda to Ted, as if sizing up the enemy.  
  
The older two had gotten their wands out, pointing them threateningly at her. Narcissa gulped, as if just realizing what she got herself into.  
  
Ted said, "I know some pretty powerful memory charms."  
  
Andromeda added, "And other ways of making people forget."  
  
"You—you'd be expelled," Narcissa sputtered. "Silly too, when you've only got two weeks left until you're out of here. Don't expect to be coming home when that time comes!"  
  
"I don't," said Andromeda.  
  
"You don't?"  
  
"You don't?" Ted echoed.  
  
Andromeda gulped. "Actually, I was planning on living in Diagon Alley and working there. You won't tell me what you want, Ted, so I don't know if that would work out for both of us."  
  
"I don't know what I want, Andromeda. Except..."  
  
They both turned to see Narcissa edging towards the door.  
  
"Well, you obviously have lots to talk about. I'll just be going, then."  
  
"I don't think so!" Andromeda flicked her wand, locking the door with a snap. "We still have to work out how I'm going to live after school without dear old Mum and Dad trying to barge down the door of my flat."  
  
"What does that have to do with me?"  
  
Ted raised his eyebrows. He was wondering the same thing.  
  
"You're going to help us, Cissa. You're going convince the family that I'm going to work at Durmstrang, or something, and then I'll simply disappear."  
  
"Why would I ever do that?"  
  
"Do you want your memory intact?" Ted chimed in. Andromeda shot him an exasperated, grateful look.  
  
"It'll be especially difficult fooling Bellatrix. You figured out about us; she's not far behind. But helping us is well worth it. If you do it, you'll never hear from me—"  
  
"Or me," said Ted.  
  
"—again. Are you in?"  
  
Narcissa bit her lip. "Fine. It's your disgrace, not mine. Though...convincing Bella will be harder than anticipated."  
  
Andromeda's stomach plummeted and Ted groaned—this was not what they wanted to hear.  
  
When Andromeda spoke, she hissed quietly but vehemently, "Why?"  
  
"Because...sorry, Tonks, I lied. I've told Bella. I've told her everything."  
  
A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I'm going to be busy in the upcoming weeks with exams, but I'll update as much as I can. 


	19. Rush of Freedom

Chapter Nineteen: Rush of Freedom  
  
Disclaimer: This stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling!  
  
Andromeda sharply inhaled her breath. She looked positively furious.  
  
"Narcissa—just—go. Just leave. If you see Bella, stop her in any way you can. Now go!"  
  
Her sister sauntered out, head held high and without a single care. Andromeda began pacing; Ted was still in a shocked daze.  
  
"What can we do now?" he asked, staring into the fire.  
  
Andromeda took off towards the door. "I'm going to find Bella, and I'm going to show her that she's not the only one capable of—"  
  
Ted ran over and pushed her back. "Don't be stupid! She knows more dark magic than you ever will!"  
  
"This is our best chance, Ted," she growled.  
  
"Getting killed? That's supposed to be our best chance?"  
  
"She wouldn't kill us. At Hogwarts? Right under Dumbledore's nose?"  
  
Ted was silent. From what he'd heard of Bellatrix Black, he didn't doubt the possibility.  
  
"But we should get out of here," he said. "We're safe now, but for how long? What if your sister knows how to get in here?"  
  
"We could Disappa—"  
  
"You can't Disapparate in Hogwarts!"  
  
Andromeda rubbed her forehead. "Right. I...forgot. Ted...I know it's stupid to be asking...at a time like this...But do you remember those Muggle people you compared us to? Romelet and Julio—?"  
  
"Romeo and Juliet."  
  
"Yes, them. Well, what happened to them?"  
  
Ted avoided her eyes. "It's from a book, that's all. It's not real..."  
  
"What happened to them?!"  
  
"Well, they, er, had a misunderstanding. And they, er, couldn't be together. So they killed themselves."  
  
There was a resounding silence. Never had Andromeda felt more chained than now. Trapped in the room she once loved, with the person she most loved. The place that was her refuge. Now where could they go? They couldn't leave the room. Couldn't stay.  
  
"Meda."  
  
Hearing the old nickname, she snapped out of her reverie.  
  
"We should go back to our common rooms. It's after curfew."  
  
She shrugged helplessly. "What's the point? Bellatrix will be waiting there for me."  
  
"Meda? We could get Sirius to help."  
  
"What can a first year do?"  
  
"He's sort of like an inside agent. To infiltrate the house of the Blacks."  
  
To infiltrate the house of the Blacks...if they could get Sirius to get them to his house...Bella would never look there.  
  
"Ted!" Andromeda shook him. "We have to get to the Gryffindor common room. I know the perfect place we can lie low for the next few weeks."  
  
"The Gryffindor common room?"  
  
"Better than that. But we need Sirius. Come on!" She grabbed his hand and they took off running, wands out.  
  
Each time they rounded a corner or went up the stairs, they jumped with the fear that Bella would be waiting there.  
  
Finally they made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady.  
  
"Let us in!" they begged.  
  
"Password?"  
  
"Please?" Andromeda suggested. The Fat Lady shook her head.  
  
But Ted had lost it. "Oh, that's just—"  
  
He struggled to think of the most derogatory non-swear word he could, and came up with, "That's just hogwash!"  
  
The portrait hole swung open and they looked at each other in bemusement.  
  
"Gryffindors," muttered Andromeda.  
  
But the red, cozy room was deserted, making them feel even more out-of- place.  
  
"Sirius!" Andromeda whispered. But what would whispering do? Defeated, she crumpled onto a plush armchair and covered her head with her hands.  
  
Then—"What are you two doing here?"  
  
One of Sirius's friends was peering at them suspiciously. What was his name? Peter? Paul?  
  
"Go get Sirius," Ted said. "We need him."  
  
The pudgy kid shrugged and went up the stairs. A moment later a bedraggled Sirius came down.  
  
"Wha—? You two aren't allowed in here." A grin spread over his face. "That's great! Prefects breaking rules! Can I visit your common rooms?"  
  
"Sirius, we have a much more urgent matter at hand. Can you get us to Grimmuald Place?"  
  
"Why would you want to go there?"  
  
"Because your house would be the last place Bella would look for us!"  
  
Comprehension dawned on his face. "Do you mean...Bellatrix knows about you two?"  
  
"Yes!" they shouted together.  
  
He ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, bugger...well, follow me..."  
  
He led them out of the common room.  
  
"Where are we going?" Ted whispered.  
  
"To the kitchens. We can get some Floo powder and get you out of here."  
  
As they walked though the darkened corridors, Andromeda was less uneasy about escaping and more about the frightening consequences that would follow. How would she ever go home again? Would her parents still want her? Crazy—no, misguided—as they were, they were still her family.  
  
They reached the kitchens, snuck past sleeping house elves, and Sirius grabbed a bunch of Floo Powder.  
  
"This'll take you directly to the parlor at Grimmuald Place. Once you're there, I'd advise getting out as soon as you can. My father's placed some pretty protective charms on the place and Ted's likely to set them off."  
  
Andromeda's face fell. "Oh no. I planned...on staying there. I mean, where else can we go?"  
  
Sirius shrugged. "Diagon Alley?"  
  
Ted nodded his agreement. Andromeda wanted to have one final goodbye with her family, but this would have to do. Speaking of goodbyes...  
  
She hugged Sirius tightly. "I'll see you again, won't I?"  
  
"'Course," he said. "At your wedding."  
  
She let go extremely abruptly. She and Ted both echoed, "Our wedding?"  
  
But he only smiled knowingly. Ted thanked him and ruffled his hair, smiling.  
  
But his smile fell. There was a clatter of pots and pans, a light from behind he shadows, and a dark figure emerged.  
  
"Don't leave so soon!" Bellatrix Black was smirking.  
  
Ted didn't stop to think. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted.  
  
But she hopped out of the way, his disarming spell useless. He immediately yelled, "Protego!" and brought up a barrier. Bella turned to Andromeda.  
  
"Locomotor mortis!" Bella's wand was pointed right at her sister. Sirius leapt out of nowhere, tackling her to the floor.  
  
She threw him off with a blasting curse. She saw Ted's guard down and yelled "Impedimenta!" at him. He was suspended, motionless, in mid-air.  
  
"Finite incantatum," said Andromeda from behind him, and Ted went back to normal speed. He gave her a hurried "thanks."  
  
Sirius was back on his feet and dodging Bella's spells and throwing a few of his own. Andromeda felt her wand fly out of her hand and spin across the floor by Bella. She reached for it, and a cloud of Floo powder exploded around her, shifting the fireplace to a smoky purple. She leapt up to join the melee, but a strong hand took hers and pulled her into the fire.  
  
"London!" someone yelled.  
  
The last thing she saw was Sirius zapping Bella with the Stupefy spell while she was gloating. Bella hit the floor with a thud. Two wands lay useless next to her. Then the scene changed, buildings appearing. She was thrust forward, landing in a puddle in the middle of a dingy alleyway.  
  
"Watch out!" Ted pulled her back just as a gigantic metal thing sped by.  
  
"You have to watch out for cars," Ted said. He looked terrible: covered in dirt with a nasty bruise on his arm.  
  
Andromeda looked around them and shivered. The Floo powder in the fireplace had disappeared. They were stranded in Muggle London without wands.  
  
A/N: As always, thanks to everybody who reviewed.  
  
Aalikane: Actually, Ted Tonks is Muggle-born, not Muggle. From OotP (U.S. version):  
  
Pg. 50: Tonks says, "My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob."  
  
Pg. 113: "Andromeda married a Muggle-born, Ted Tonks, so..."  
  
Hope that clears that up! (And thanks for sticking up for me about all that, Clarey the Angelic Squishy!) 


	20. I Do

Chapter Twenty: I Do  
  
Disclaimer: Nearly all of this is J.K. Rowling's, not mine.  
  
"Wonderful! Now what are we going to do?" Andromeda's hands were on her hips, and she was glaring at Ted from across the dingy alleyway.  
  
"Take out our wands, I guess," replied Ted calmly.  
  
Andromeda watched him struggle to find them for a minute. When he looked up uncertainly, she said, "Right. We left them back at school."  
  
Ted muttered, "How typical. Let's get out of here."  
  
"And just where are we going to go? Why didn't you send us to Diagon Alley or something? What were you thinking?"  
  
"I'm sorry if I wasn't thinking clearly, but curses were being thrown at me," muttered Ted with clenched teeth.  
  
Their noise was starting to attract the attention of the Muggle passerby. Andromeda peered at each one as if they were from another species.  
  
"Stay close to me," Ted whispered. "There's some freaks out at this time of night."  
  
"To them, we're the freaks," Andromeda snapped. But she moved closer to him anyway as they headed out into the main street. He knew the Muggle world; she didn't.  
  
One man, as he passed them, yelled out, "What are you two supposed to be? Hippies? It's not Halloween, you know!"  
  
Andromeda was confused until Ted tugged on her robes.  
  
"Muggles are so nice, aren't they?" she commented sarcastically.  
  
"C'mon," said Ted. "Maybe I can find a pay phone to call my parents."  
  
"A what?" Andromeda said, but Ted shushed her. He was looking ahead in the distance, where a lone figure was coming towards them.  
  
Andromeda's heart pounded. The figure was wearing robes! But as he came closer, there was something vaguely familiar about him.  
  
"It looks as if you two didn't go far," the man said. Andromeda could breathe again. It was Albus Dumbledore.  
"Professor Dumbledore!" said Ted. "How did you find us?"  
  
"Mr. Black came and told the teachers the whole story right after you left. Miss. Black is still out cold. When she comes to, she'll most definitely be punished for trying to duel in the middle of the night with other students."  
  
Andromeda nodded. She noticed how dark it was in this section of the street, how there weren't any other people around...and she felt safer knowing Dumbledore was there. It was going to be all right.  
  
"I'm sorry you felt the need to leave school," Dumbledore continued. "But I'd be very pleased if you would come back. Miss. Black wouldn't be a problem, I assure you."  
  
Ted looked at Andromeda, and they both realized they were thinking the same thing. He had to speak up.  
  
"Thanks, Professor. But...we're pretty much done with school anyway. We did our NEWT's. We'd feel—more comfortable—if we didn't have to go back."  
  
Dumbledore sighed. "If that's what you want..."  
  
"Yes," said Andromeda. "It is."  
  
"Then of course I will make no move to stop you."  
  
A smile broke out on Ted's wary face. "Professor, you're the coolest teacher."  
  
Dumbledore couldn't have looked more pleased. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Mr. Black said you would be needing these."  
  
In his outstretched hands were the wands. It was over. They were safe. They both thanked him before he Apparated away.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
Andromeda nodded. She took Ted's hand and together they Apparated into the night. The next morning Ted left the Leaky Cauldron, where they stayed the night before, to call his parents.  
  
"You did WHAT?!" they yelled on the other end of the line.  
  
Meanwhile, Andromeda was getting a mouthful from her mother via a Howler.  
  
"How DARE you? How dare you run off with that—that filthy mudblood! How dare you besmirch our family's good name and reputation by even consorting with a mudblood? You blood traitor—"  
  
It went on that way for five full minutes. By the end, Andromeda understood the gist of it: she wasn't welcome home anymore. Or, as her mother threatened, she wouldn't be welcome in the home of any respectable pureblood family.  
  
So. That was it. After three long years of wondering how her family would react to knowing about Ted, they'd gone and done exactly what she expected them to. She lay on her bed, thinking, and trying to cry. But she couldn't. Instead she thought of every happy memory she had of her family, and held on to them.  
  
They picked themselves up and went on with their lives. Andromeda got a job at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions for the summer. Ted worked at a Muggle store and practically lived in his parents' basement, which became known as the "Disaster Zone."  
  
One day towards the end of summer, Ted decided to pop the question. They were in the "Disaster Zone" when he got down on one knee and said, "Meda, will you marry me?"  
  
"Of course I will, Ted." She took a look around the room. "Under one condition, though. Please get a wizarding job and come live in our world."  
  
His shoulders slumped. "Getting a wizarding job is ...complicated."  
  
"Why? You're a great wizard, you got excellent OWL and NEWT scores, and you have a great record..."  
  
"I know, I know. But apparently the Ministry does background checks now, and...they 'need to reserve jobs for pureblooded witches and wizards.' Or so I was told when I tried to apply there."  
  
He wouldn't meet her eyes.  
  
Andromeda had to count to ten to calm herself down. Then she swore—loudly. "Ugh! I hate the Ministry! Those bigoted idiots! I am never working there!"  
  
Ted said slowly, "If we want to get married, I think you should."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, I'm thinking about getting a Muggle job and an apartment. If you worked in the Ministry, we could save up enough money to live completely in the wizarding world someday..."  
  
Andromeda thought about it. "That idea could work. I've thought about working in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Just out of curiosity: what kind of Muggle job did you have in mind?"  
  
Ted said somewhat sheepishly, "When I was a kid I'd love watching the news on TV. It was the only thing on. So now, I'm thinking I'd like to be...a newscaster."  
  
They were married the following spring in a little church outside Hogsmeade. The number of guests for each of them was somewhat skewed. On one side sat all of Ted's Muggle relatives, including his parents and grandparents. Behind them were all his friends from Hogwarts, including Kirley (the best man), Talia, and Alice.  
  
On Andromeda's side there was Marlene McKinnon, Uncle Alphard, and Sirius (for once not surrounded by his pack of friends). Derrick couldn't come but sent her a congratulatory postcard from Canada. She had invited everyone in her family, but her invitations weren't answered back to or even acknowledged. Sirius told her that he had to sneak out of the house to come, because he was "forbidden" to go.  
  
But they tried not to let that spoil the lovely wedding. After the "I do's", they kissed sweetly as everyone cheered.  
  
"No matter what happens in the future, I'll always be there," said Ted. "We'll be facing whatever comes together."  
  
"I know what will come," said Andromeda. "We're going to have a happy, full life."  
  
"I love you," they whispered at the same time.  
  
And they kissed once more.  
  
The End  
  
(Well, except for the Epilogue!)  
  
A/N: Thank you so much for all the nice reviews I've gotten. Now I want to work on other fics! After the Epilogue, I'll start a new story for the summer. 


	21. Epilogue

Chapter 21: Epilogue  
  
Disclaimer: This belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
1977.  
  
"New wave of attacks on Muggles and Muggle-borns by Death Eaters today: Full story inside."  
  
Andromeda Tonks threw the Daily Prophet down in disgust. She could stand no more bad news today. She knew that right now Ted could be on the Muggle news reporting it, when he alone knew the full story. And, in the process, he'd be sending secret messages for the Order. He was in danger at any moment.  
  
But today she would take her mind off all that. She'd taken a day off from work and all she had to do was answer the letters brought by owl to their window every hour. She lay back in her chair by the fire, glad for once that Nymphadora was asleep. She was her father's daughter all right—getting into everything, and then never picking it up. The only thing Nymphadora inherited from her mother was Andromeda's black hair and dark eyes.  
  
"I'm home!" called Ted from the back of the house. He slumped in, looking as though he hadn't gotten much sleep.  
  
Andromeda smiled wanly at him.  
  
"So...you've seen the paper?" he asked.  
  
"Oh yes. Needless to say, it didn't cheer me up much."  
  
Ted was staring out the window into the woods morosely, as if Death Eaters would come barging out of them any second. The two of them picked this house because it was close enough to London for Ted's job, but also on the outskirts so they could pretend that they were still in touch with the wizarding world. With Nymphadora to take care of, they seemed to leave the house only to go to work.  
  
They heard footsteps coming from upstairs, which made them both jump. A second later, Dora popped out at them.  
  
"Daddy!" the five-year-old yelled.  
  
Ted picked her up and swung her around as she laughed and hugged him. Andromeda came over. She hated to be the mean one, but...  
  
"Why aren't you in bed, young lady?"  
  
Dora looked up at her with too-innocent dark eyes. "I couldn't sleep, Mummy."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
Dora bit her lip guiltily. "'Cause I learned something new. Watch me!"  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and gritted her teeth. A second later her beautiful black hair turned into blonde ringlets. When she opened her eyes, they were bright green.  
  
Andromeda screamed. "What did you do? Dora, how did this happen?"  
  
Ted almost dropped her in shock. "Dora, have you...have you been playing with our wands again? You know that's very naughty!"  
  
"No!" Dora—this stranger—insisted. "I wanted to be like Katie, so...I did. It was easy."  
  
"You mean Katie your Muggle friend? The one with blonde hair?" Ted asked.  
  
She nodded and he set her down.  
  
"Why don't you go play in your room for a minute?" Ted told her. "Mummy and I have to talk by ourselves."  
  
"All right," she said grumpily, stalking off.  
  
"How could she have done this?" repeated Andromeda. She was still in shock. "Without a wand?"  
  
"I think...she might be a Metamorphmagus."  
  
"That's ridiculous," Andromeda started to say, but she trailed off. "Doesn't that run in families?"  
  
Then she thought back. Oh. "Er, one of my second cousins might've been a Metamorphmagus. I'm not sure. I've blocked it out."  
  
Amazingly, Ted grinned. "Well, whatever she is, she's special all right. Lucky us."  
  
Andromeda rolled her eyes. She only wanted her daughter looking like her daughter again. So she sat down on Dora's bed next to her and explained it all.  
  
"Darling, you look beautiful as you are. You're you, not Katie. And you have a very special gift—whatever it is—that you must be very careful with. Now, please change back?"  
  
Dora kissed Andromeda's forehead and scrunched her face. She and Ted sighed in relief when she came back to her normal self.  
  
But being the parents of Nymphadora Tonks meant things didn't stay normal for long. As she grew older, she played more and more tricks on her parents—especially Andromeda. Ted wouldn't blanch if she came home with purple hair. He'd only say she looked cool—like she was in a rock band. But Andromeda would force her to turn it back.  
  
"You think it's bad now," Ted teased one night. "Think about when she becomes a teenager and starts to really hate us."  
  
"She'll be at Hogwarts! With some order finally!" Andromeda closed her eyes. "Only three more years, only three more years..."  
  
She flinched as she heard a crash come from the kitchen. Then a familiar voice called out, "I'm all right! How long has that been here?"  
  
But Ted and Andromeda were the most doting parents imaginable, shielding their daughter (perhaps too much) from the harsh realties of the world. If one of their friends was suddenly killed, they would cry in private where Dora couldn't hear. They wouldn't tell her how lucky they were to be alive, or how on the top of Voldemort's target list were Muggle- born and pure-blood couples. And they never explained why they couldn't take her to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade.  
  
Instead she and Andromeda would fight over her name.  
  
"Nymphadora, could you get some Floo powder for me in the other room? And be careful not to touch anything! Watch where you put your feet!"  
  
Dora grumbled, "Say that name ten times fast, would you?"  
  
Ted stood up. "That's my clue to leave." He winked at his daughter. "Come talk to me later, Tonks."  
  
Even though he only mouthed the last part so Dora could see, Andromeda guessed what he said.  
  
"What did you call her?" she demanded. "Ted, remember why we picked that name for her!"  
  
"Daddy didn't pick it," Dora said loudly. "You did. He hates it."  
  
Ted's smile froze on his face, as if he was deciding which route was safer—buttering up his wife or fleeing from the room. He chose the former.  
  
"Dora, where do you get these ideas? I think—that name—is a lovely one. And I'm sure you had your reasons for picking it, dear."  
  
Andromeda put her hands on her hips and glared at them. Why were those two always thick as thieves against her?  
  
"For your information, I called you 'Nymphadora' because it is a family tradition. It's supposed to remind you—and everyone else—of one-half of your heritage that we could easily forget. No matter what my family's done to us, someday when this war's over you might want to meet them."  
  
No one spoke, though they didn't look as properly put in their place as they ought to be. Having one more go at it, she added, "Besides, Narcissa approves of it."  
  
"Narcissa?" Ted said. "When have you seen her?"  
  
"A few months ago. Don't look so shocked. It's perfectly legal to see my own sister."  
  
"Not when she's married to a known Death Eater like Lucius Malfoy—someone who'd give anything to see us gone for good!"  
  
"Lucius Malfoy is a horrible person, but he's not a 'known Death Eater.' He works at the Ministry, for heaven's sakes!"  
  
"And how does that not make him completely corrupt?"  
  
"Excuse me?! Where do I work?"  
  
"Hey, shut up! Stop yelling!" broke in Dora's voice. "What are you talking about? Who are these people? You have a sister, Mum?"  
  
They had gotten so heated over the name argument they had forgotten just who was in the room with them. Just like that, the fight was over.  
  
Andromeda opened her mouth to tell Dora to leave, but shut it. Ted was shaking his head.  
  
"She's eight years old. She ought to know."  
  
"Know what?" Dora's eyes were filled with confusion, but she was waiting patiently—for once—to hear an answer.  
  
Ted took her hand and the three of them sat down on the couch together.  
  
"Do you want to tell the story?" Ted asked. "From the beginning? Or should I?"  
  
"We both can," said Andromeda. "It is, after all, a story about both of us...and about Dora..."  
  
He squeezed her hand like he so often used to do, and Dora joined in.  
  
"Want to hear about how we first met?"  
  
A/N: Well, it's done. Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed my very first HP fanfic! Did anyone catch something about Ted's newscaster job? If not, read page 6 in SS/PS. Anyway, have a great summer! 


End file.
